Introduction
Windows 2000 is primarily designed as an upgrade to Microsoft’s Windows NT 4 operating system family. Microsoft is currently selling an upgrade to Windows 98 named Millennium Edition, or Windows Me.
Can I Upgrade Windows 98 to Windows 2000?
At this point, the answer is yes, but with a cost. Windows 98 and Windows NT are very different operating systems. Consequently, Microsoft has had a tough time coming up with an operating system that can upgrade both NT and 95/98. We recommend that only users of Windows NT upgrade to Windows 2000, and that Windows 95/98 users use the Millennium operating system to upgrade.
Top Reasons Businesses Are Moving to Windows 2000 Professional
1. Value. The number one reason to move to Windows 2000 Professional is the overall value it offers your business. Windows 2000 Professional can help you reduce costs through improved management and increase productivity through improved reliability and ease of use. For example, analysis conducted at Credit Suisse First Boston predicted that using Windows 2000 Professional could reduce the firm’s directly related IT costs by 15 percent, as well as improve employee productivity by cutting computer-related unproductive time by as much as 41 percent.
2. Reliability. An essential requirement for business users is a personal computer they can count on. That’s why Windows 2000 Professional includes fundamental improvements — such as modifications to the operating system core to prevent crashes and the ability for the operating system to repair itself — that make it the most reliable desktop operating system Microsoft has ever produced. On comparative reliability tests conducted by ZD Labs, the average system uptime of Windows 2000 Professional was over 50 times that of Windows 98 and 17 times that of Windows NT Workstation 4.0.
3. Mobility. Mobile computing is simpler and more efficient with Windows 2000 Professional. This means you can work anywhere, anytime while also saving time and increasing productivity. Windows 2000 Professional offers mobile users key productivity and time-saving features, including the ability to hibernate and restart the system without a reboot and the ability to easily take files and folders offline.
4. Manageability. Windows 2000 Professional is easier to deploy, manage, and support. Centralized management utilities, troubleshooting tools, and support for self-healing applications all make it simpler for administrators and users to deploy and manage desktop and laptop computers.
5. Performance. The advancements made throughout Windows 2000 Professional are accentuated by the operating system’s speed. As shown in ZD Labs tests running the most popular business applications, with 64 MB of RAM, Windows 2000 was 32 percent faster than Windows 95 and 27 percent faster than Windows 98. It is also significantly faster than Windows NT 4.0 on configurations with 32 MB of RAM.
6. Security. Windows 2000 Professional provides comprehensive security features to protect your sensitive business data, both locally on your desktop computer and as it is transmitted over your local area network, phone lines, or the Internet. With its support for Internet-standard security features such as IP Security, Layer 2 Tunneling Protocol, and Virtual Private Networking, Windows 2000 is so secure that banks, such as Credit Suisse First Boston, use it.
7. Internet. The familiar user interface of Windows 98 combined with all the capabilities of Internet Explorer 5 makes using the Internet and your local desktop a unified user experience. This user interface, combined with integrated search capabilities, makes it easier to find and use information locally and on the Web.
8. Usability. Windows 2000 Professional combines the power and security of its predecessor, Windows NT Workstation, with the traditional ease of use of Windows 98. It also provides more wizards, a centralized location for common tasks, and menus that adapt to the way you work.
9. Data Access. When you use Windows 2000 Professional in conjunction with Windows 2000 Server, you can take advantage of IntelliMirror technologies. By letting you store your important information and desktop settings on a central computer, IntelliMirror lets you work on any computer attached to your network as if you are at your own desk.
10. Hardware. Windows 2000 Professional lets you take advantage of new hardware devices, such as those with universal serial bus (USB) and IEEE 1394 (FireWire) connections. In addition, support for existing hardware makes Windows 2000 ideal for companies that want to standardize on a single operating system across their organizations.