A few problems with windows XP (Microsoft Windows XP - Home Edition)

Member Name: wolfson_advice

Product:	Microsoft Windows XP - Home Edition
Date:	13/03/02 (3352 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Updated Explorer, Faster loging on time, faster program launching time

Disadvantages: Well just read what I have said.

Microsoft Windows XP offers many great new features and innovations for both consumers and corporate users alike, but if you play computer games, you might want to think twice before purchasing XP to replace your Windows 98/ME operating system. Windows XP suffers from huge limitations in the way it handles monitor refresh rates, and buying XP will increase monitor flicker and could severely hurt your eyes!

By default, Windows 98/ME always plays games at the highest refresh rate your monitor and video card can handle, and this offers the least flicker and the least eyestrain possible. However, Windows XP plays games at much lower refresh rates. In every resolution, all DirectX games in Windows XP run at only 75 Hz, and all OpenGL games in Windows XP run at only 60 Hz. That's right, OpenGL based Quake III Arena will run at only 60 Hz in XP! Both of these refresh rate settings will give you much added eyestrain and a nasty headache after playing for a while. This gaming refresh rate issue is such a HUGE and OBVIOUS problem, it makes you wonder how Microsoft can even ship an operating system with such a huge flaw.

Games however, are not the only area refresh rates are handled poorly in Windows XP. When setting your 2D desktop refresh rate in "Display Properties," Microsoft got rid of the "Optimal" refresh rate setting in Windows XP. In Windows 98/ME, Windows is automatically set at an "Optimal" refresh rate setting in "Display Properties," and Windows always uses the highest refresh rate possible at EVERY resolution on the 2D desktop. Now, since Windows XP only uses static refresh rate values instead of the "Optimal" setting in "Display Properties," every time you switch resolutions in XP, you have to manually change your refresh rate setting to the highest available to get the best display quality possible on the 2D desktop. With an "Optimal" setting, users don't n
eed to worry about refresh rates at all.

Also, no matter what people may tell you, this is NOT a driver issue. These refresh rate problems happen with EVERY video card on the market, with all available drivers. It happens on NVIDIA, ATI, S3, Matrox, 3dfx, and all other video cards. Even with drivers designed for Windows XP, you will still experience these problems.

Furthermore, don't believe the myth that it's bad to run your monitor at high refresh rates, even if your monitor supports them. Running your monitor at high refresh rates, as long as your monitor can support them, will not damage or cause any added stress to your monitor. I have confirmed this with multiple monitor manufactures. While most people can't consciously tell the difference between 85 Hz and higher refresh rates, running at higher refresh rates will still cause less eyestrain after you use your computer for an extended period of time, so it is best to run your monitor at the highest refresh rate possible.

It seems that Windows XP has a nasty tendency to cause DSL servers to identify people using that operating system as having an illegal connection, and shut them out.
The problem lies with the MTU (Maximum Transmission Unit) which, for people using PPPoE (Point-to-Point Protocol over Ethernet) on ADSL, should never be more than 1492. By default, Win XP sets it to 1500.
Microsoft knows about the problem, but offers no patch for XP. Their only solution is recommending customers to hack their registries.

I know I am looking at the defects but it's worth knowing If you are thinking about purchasing windows XP, as a game user or if using DSL servers or ADSL.

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