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Microsoft Windows, Microsoft Office. They're so ubiquitous that they are almost beneath notice in terms of thinking about technology in the office environment. That is, they're beneath notice until something like the US$200 million marketing campaign for Windows XP, the newest in Microsoft's line of operating systems, arrives to stick it in your face.

What's so important that it's worth spending four cents per every human being alive to advertise? Windows XP is the "best operating system ever" in the words of Microsoft chairman Bill Gates, and since it is a marked improvement over previous Windows products, that statement is pretty much true by default as almost no one uses anything else to run their computers.

The change is revolutionary, and goes far beyond the colorful new interface. With around 90% of the world's desktop computers using some version of Windows and Office, Microsoft is looking elsewhere for growth. The company's .Net and Hailstorm projects look to extend the market dominance of Windows to the Internet, and from there into ever more facets of users' lives. These projects look to integrate e-mail accounts, datebooks and even electronic cash into one seamless system. According to the blueprint for these systems, planning a business trip soon could look like this: you log on to the .Net travel service, choose a flight and hotel and e-mail a .Net travel agent who then books the flights, charges your .Net e-cash account and puts the dates and times in your Palm Pilot datebook, all at one go.

Frightening stuff for credit card companies and travel agencies who may soon be facing stiff e-competition. But if you've got no grudge against Microsoft's strong-arm use of its operating system monopoly to enter new markets and flatten competitors, it sounds like an extremely convenient way to streamline your life.

And much of it starts with Windows XP. The new system is designed with future .Net use in mind, so that every thing you do now from instant messaging to appointment scheduling can be migrated up to the .Net system as it merges its way into your personal and professional existence.

READY TO UPGRADE?

Now, then, since you've already got some version of Windows running on your computer, why would you want a better one?

For businesses, the main bottom-line issue is the productivity and efficiency gains to be had through XP's stability and ease of tech support, although this is more of an issue for upgrades from systems older than Windows 2000, which was the first desktop product to offer decent stability.

Tired of the computer freezing and losing your work while you're under deadline? XP makes those freezes far less likely, and when they do happen the auto-save function should get you back quickly to where you left off.

"The improved technical assistance upgrades are what interests clients the most," says Ulises Cabrera, Microsoft production group director for XP in Mexico. Along with this comes the Remote Assistance Manager, which allows tech support to take control of a PC directly when problems arise. Rather than having to be physically present at the machine, or try to guess what's going on over the phone, techies can attack problems directly from their command centers. "So much of my time is spent running around the building, fixing easy problems. I'll miss the exercise, but I'll be able to get a lot more done once we've got XP installed," says Jorge Carrillo, systems manager at medical holding company Grupo Proa.

Apart from these critical improvements, many of the bells and whistles of XP won't seriously increase productivity. The new look and feel of Windows XP, reminiscent of the cartoony AOL screens, may be a bit distracting and childish for experienced users. But in an office environment, the "euro-look," with icons that explain as much as the accompanying text does, could ease computer use for those who might find the infernal machines too intimidating.

BUY, NOW?

In some ways, it may seem that a major launch of a new operating system comes at exactly the wrong time. The weak technology spending that prevailed throughout the year has become even more dire in the wake of economic uncertainty due to terrorist attacks and war. But Microsoft puts on the bravest of faces when confronting adversity. XP, the company line goes, will not falter in the face of a weak computing industry, rather it is such an excellent and fundamentally necessary product that its release will drive business and consumers to buy new computers, thus saving the industry.

Whether such tough talk is proven true or not, the outlook for technology spending in Mexico isn't as dire as one might think. Industry analysts at Select-IDC have revised their growth estimates downward, but still see Mexico's tech industry growing 10% in 2001--not quite the stellar pace of recent years, but hardly what you'd call a crisis.

And Mexico clients are already lined up to buy. Coca-Cola Femsa and telecom company Iusacell are among the companies ready to put XP to work right away, says Microsoft Mexico's Cabrera.

But for the majority of Mexican offices, upgrades are a gradual process, as shown in the persistence of Windows 95 and 98 on three out of four computers here. With tight IT budgets, new PCs are something that are added to the mix, rather than being rolled out throughout the entire company. Top executives and power users are the first to get new technology, and their hand-me-downs trickle their way throughout the firm, often causing headaches for IT staff. "It's a mess," complains Guillermo, IT director at a Mexico City marketing company. "The jefes are about to get these fantastic new machines with XP, but I've got to keep working with the old computers down in the mail room."

One nice thing about the whole Windows line is that they are all compatible on the same network, but the differences between them do create additional complications for IT staff.

And it's the old computers that are the least attractive candidates for an upgrade. Microsoft only recommends upgrading to XP on machines purchased in 2000 or later, and BUSINESS MEXICO lab tests confirm that warning, even for PCs that meet the minimum technical requirements. (See "Installation Notes" for more information.)

The easiest way to get XP, therefore, is to simply buy a new computer with it already installed, saving quite a bit of hassle and technician time. Computer manufacturers such as Hewlett-Packard even offer software packages that will migrate your documents and personal settings from your old PC, allowing for the smoothest transition possible.

For the moment, upgrading to XP depends on your needs, and makes sense only for those with relatively new computers. Certainly, the maxim still applies that it is best to let the rest of the world find the bugs in new Windows products, and then make the switch a few months later when the bug-patched version is released. But there really isn't much of a question that sooner or later you'll be using XP--there just isn't any other option.

RELATED ARTICLE: The Competition

Did we say there was no alternative to Microsoft Windows and Office? Well, that's just not true. Here are a few competitors that share the 10% of non-Microsoft machines:

For PCs:

Corel: Back in the early '90s, their WordPerfect word processor dominated the market, and they retain some loyal customers to their newer office products.

Linux/Gnome:

The Linux operating system has a huge fan base among techies who use it to run big network server computers, and the system has a small carry-over to desktop computers. Nationalists may choose to run Gnome, a Windows-type operating system based on Linux that was designed by Miguel de Icaza, a Mexico City native and UNAM graduate. Big plus: Linux is free! Big minus: no company-provided tech support.

Macintosh:

Apple has managed to hold on to a small share of the PC and operating system market by catering to artists, designers and others who "think different." But even these freethinkers most likely do their word processing and spreadsheet work with Microsoft Office for Macintosh.

Type of Windows used in Mexico

15% Windows 95

60% Windows 98

25% Windows Me or NT

Source: Microsoft Mexico

Installation notes

As always when upgrading an operating system, we forget to expect the unexpected during the process. Using a 500mhz PC with 2.5 gigabytes of free hard drive space and 196Mb of memory, the BUSINESS MEXICO test lab machine was a less-than-perfect candidate for an upgrade. While it exceeded the minimum requirements, it is a collection of older, generic parts that ran fine on Windows Millenium, and definitely hit some snags with XP.

The installation itself went fairly smoothly, except for a tense few minutes when the system stopped sending any signal to the monitor. With faith in assertions by Microsoft and independent reviewers that a failed upgrade leaves the original system intact, we endured the wait until the snazzy new XP logo popped up.

Hardware difficulties started popping up immediately. To be fair, we were warned during the installation process that specific devices like the ISDN modem, PCI card, sound card, etc. could have some problems--which they did. The ISDN modem provided by Prodigy as part of their Turbo service became highly unreliable, even after the drivers were reinstalled. The Belkin USB mouse had a lag and would often freeze up, possibly a problem with the USB PCI card.

The lesson here is that the XP compatibility check should be taken seriously. Before buying the upgrade, go to the Microsoft site and see if your system components are compatible with the new operating system. If your PC isn't a fairly new, name-brand machine, then you are likely to be asking for an expensive headache.

On the software side, we had to say goodbye to our Norton System Doctor, as it is incompatible with Windows XP. We haven't missed it yet, though, as XP incorporates a great deal of what the Norton Utilities did--and more. Now, hitting Ctrl-Alt-delete during a program freeze brings up a slew of information on what's happening behind the Windows curtain.

Actually, a whole range of applications that were once separate programs on our test machine--the digital camera interface, CD burning, etc.--were either overridden or simply eliminated by XP in favor of its own applications. From a system administration viewpoint, this is great, since there is less of a chance of having problems with integrated programs as there is with those provided by a third party. But having grown used to the old programs, it will take getting used to the new XP functions.

Josh Tuynman ([e-mail]) is a Mexico City-based freelance writer who specializes in technology.