Average Rating: 
Rating:  - Windows 2000 is far superior to Windows 98
Let me tell you Microsoft has done something right finally. Windows 2000 has the stability of NT and the compatability of 98(well almost). I have it running for a week(I had advanced copy) so far and there hasn't been a crash nor a blue screen of death like in Windows 98 SE. The basic requirement I think is a lot of ram, 64+ is fine but I think 128 is good and 256 the optimal. Windows 2000 Professional is easy to use, it looks just like Windows 98 except underneath all of it, it's the NT kernel, which means stability. Windows 2000 has gotten rid of DOS(almost) there is very little dos support and you may not be able to play certain legacy games. The good thing is that companies are writing drivers so that there is a lot of compatability with new things. Basically everything you have in Win98 can probably run in Win2000. There is a program you can download at Microsoft.com to check if there are any compatability issues. The fact that Microsoft must first approve software drivers before it is made available to the public is another boon. I hope this has helped you! Windows 2000 is really great compared to Win98 or 95!
Rating: - Finally, a decent OS to come out from Microsoft
This is a tough review to write, because I am really struggling about whether I should give a perfect 5. But my philosophy is- nothing is perfect, so I am giving this great OS a 4. Windows 2000, built on the NT core, offers great stability and resource management. Everything M$ claims about this OS has mostly been true. Win 2k is robust (great support for Desktops and Laptops in terms of hardware), secure (NTFS file system lets u encrypt your files and password access required to access the system), managable (great for LAN within a single domain, where people can log in and personalize their desktop w/o worries), and stable (once the proper drivers are set, applications run smoothly and if for some reason apps fail, windows will give you an option to close the app w/o affecting overall system). Perhaps the greatest plus is the OS's Plug N' Play ability, in which NT 4 lacks bigtime. All drivers for Win 2k uses the WDM (Windows 32-bit driver model), which Win98SE could sometimes use as well and provides better resource assignment for hardware. This abstraction gives the hardware open possibility to be both Win 98SE and 2k compatible: expect a much more array of hardware to support win 2k than NT. Note however that drivers designed for 98SE might not work for 2k (but interestingly, 2k drivers will work under 98SE, which I experimented), so 2k specific drivers must be installed. The only negative thing for this OS is probably its difficult to setup network. Network setup in 2k requires the user to know what they are doing, and small home LAN is MUCH MORE difficult to setup than Win 98. Also, some games might not run under win2k due to its true 32bit nature (although DirectX 7(+? maybe.)is supported), making 2k a less than attractive entertainment platform. Overall, this OS is great. By the current market trend, users can always expect new hardware support (USB, Firewire, etc.), and as games become more 32-bit oriented, gamers can expect more games to be playable on a stable platform. Give credit to M$ for finally getting it done right- a true 32-bit OS w/ great hardware support and ease of use from a decent GUI.
Rating: - The Best OS out there.
Anyone who tells you all Microsoft software is junk and is full of bugs is full of hot air. They obviously haven't tried this OS. I'll be the first to admit that all of the Windows 9x varieties have problems, which is why I upgraded. As for Windows 2000, I've been running it for quite a while and it's rock solid. I've got a small peer-to-peer network running in my house, all running Windows 2000. System hangups are few and far between (no more than any other OS). Every piece of hardware and software I've thrown its way has been fully compatible. USB support is terrific. Many of the devices I've installed didn't even require a manufacturer driver disc; Windows installed them by itself. If you're shopping around for an OS and you're looking for something Windows based, I think 2000 is the best way to go. '95 and '98 are too buggy, and as for Windows Me, I've never used it so I can't recommend it. For now, I will not be upgrading to Windows XP. I don't like the control Microsoft will have over how many times you install it. Until they change that or until they come out with another OS that doesn't do that, I will be using 2000.
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