On Wednesday, Microsoft shipped its next-generation business operating system, Windows 2000, to manufacturers. It's been a long, strange trip to final code--fraught with delays and strategy shifts--but after an in-depth look at this new OS, we say it's worth the wait. On Wednesday, Microsoft shipped its next-generation business operating system, Windows 2000, to manufacturers. It's been a long, strange trip to final code--fraught with delays and strategy shifts--but after an in-depth look at this new OS, we say it's worth the wait.
For any size of business, Windows 2000 has the right stuff, both as a workstation and as a server. It's stable, easy to install, and packs in enough new features to make it a must-have upgrade from Windows NT 4.0. It's even easier to run on most laptops (an area where NT 4.0 fell short). Windows 2000's dizzying array of new server tools will keep larger businesses busy deciding which ones to deploy, and the server is sophisticated enough to make it worth the extra effort.
Windows 2000 isn't for everyone, however. If you want a new OS for gaming or surfing the Net, you'll be better off with Windows Millennium, the Windows 98 replacement due out the second half of next year. And even if Windows 2000 is up your alley, you still have to wait a couple of months to get your hands on a copy. If Microsoft doesn't run into any snags, the boxed version of Windows 2000 will hit store shelves and start shipping with PCs on February 17, 2000, two months later than Microsoft had originally promised.
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