Microsoft begins Windows XP hype

Microsoft threw a coming out party yesterday for Windows XP, the next version of Windows which is not expected to ship for at least four months.

At an event held at Seattle's Experience Music Project, a museum created by Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen which is dedicated to all things Jimi Hendrix, the software giant's chairman, Bill Gates, demonstrated some of XP's features, including a new user interface.

The company also plans to use Hendrix's Are you experienced? anthem as the musical accompaniment with which to launch XP, replacing the Rolling Stones' Start me up, which was used for Windows 95.

When it appears in the second half of this year, XP will come in two flavours: XP Professional for business users; and XP Home Edition for home users. No pricing details were available, although officials say the cost will be similar to today's upgrades.

The company is touting XP as the biggest overhaul to Windows since Windows 95 and hopes it can replicate the success of that release, which saw millions of people make the often painful upgrade from Windows 3.x.

Although the 'hype-o-meter' has plenty of rising to do before the product actually ships, Gates is already in the groove. "People want to do more with their PCs. Windows XP builds on their dreams, taking the power and adaptability of the PC to a new level," he said at the demo.

Earlier he told a reporter: "Windows XP is the biggest advance since Windows first shipped."

Although Microsoft is touting XP Professional for the business user, many of the new features look geared towards the home user. The Redmond giant promises a much more enjoyable experience for those who are interested in digital photography, digital music and even downloading and editing films from the internet.

A major selling point will no doubt be that much of the XP code comes from the relatively crash-proof Windows 2000 version. "It will be newer and zippier, but the most important thing is that it is going to be more stable," said IDC analyst Al Gillen.