By Corey Christiansen
Microsoft released Windows XP Thursday, Oct. 25, a new operating system designed to revolutionize both home and professional computer systems.
'It''s the most significant Windows operating system since Windows 95,' said Jeff Austill, sales manager of CompUSA in Orem.
CompUSA held a midnight-madness sale from 12:01 to 2:00 a.m. Thursday morning to celebrate the release of the program, he said.
'It was extremely successful,' he said. 'Between two to three hundred people came.'
Reactions at BYU have been less exciting, but increased student interest is expected in the next few weeks, said Julie Berry, a BYU Bookstore computer merchandiser.
'A lot of people are in a wait-and-see mode,' she said.
When students do try out Windows XP, they will see many changes from previous Microsoft operating systems, said Craig Tracy, the BYU Bookstore computer department supervisor.
'They (Microsoft) have taken the two previous Windows lines and combined the best features from each,' Austill said.
The two lines, meaning the professional (Windows NT and 2000) and home (Windows 95, 98, and Millennium) editions, have been using separate internal codes, he said.
Windows XP is based on the professional internal code. The code is incorporated into both the home and professional editions, he said.
This combination will increase both the stability and speed of the operating system, he said.
The professional and home editions of Windows XP have also been greatly improved in the areas of networking, internet capability and reliability, he said.
In order to help students understand its new computer technologies, Microsoft created a student user group four years ago at BYU.
This group teaches students how to use Microsoft programs, such as Windows XP and other programming software, said Joel Fillmore, the BYU student consultant representing Microsoft.
The group is designed for students interested in software development, said Fillmore, 23, a senior from Spring, Texas, majoring in computer science.
'We specifically target the computer science, electrical engineering and information systems majors,' he said.
Other students who are not majoring in one of these three departments are still eligible to be members of the group, he said.
'Any student taking a class in (one of) the three departments can have access to the software,' he said.
Benefits of the student user group include free Microsoft programming software, such as Visual Studio, and free training sessions, he said.
Students can sign up to become members of the group on www.devhood.com, an online community run by Microsoft.
Once students become members of the group, they can obtain the software from one of the three departments, said Robert Jackson, assistant professor of information systems.
'They can check out a CD or log on to the distribution server,' he said.
Jackson said he is excited about being able to distribute programming software to students because it will allow them to complete their projects at home instead of needing to come to computer labs on campus.
He said the distribution system is not available to students yet, but it should be available within the next two weeks when the departments receive the XP software from Microsoft.