The last major update to Windows XP - XP Service Pack 3 (SP3) – provides a "measurable boost" to the ageing operating system, according to a performance testing company that's already put the update through its paces.
XP SP3 is due for release during the first half of 2008, and testing firm Devil Mountain Software, which slammed Windows Vista SP1 earlier this month, said users could expect a speed boost, particularly in Microsoft Office applications.
The company ran the OfficeBench suite of performance benchmarks on a laptop equipped with Office 2007. The system - the same unit used in the Vista/Vista SP1 tests - featured a 2.0GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor and 1GB of memory. The results reported a 10 percent speed increase under XP SP3 when compared to SP2, the service pack released in 2004.
"Since SP3 was supposed to be mostly a bug-fix/patch consolidation release, the unexpected speed boost comes as a nice bonus," Barth said. "In fact, XP SP3 is shaping up to be a 'must-have' update for the majority of users who are still running Redmond's not-so-latest and greatest desktop OS."
According to the Office performance benchmarks, Windows XP SP3 is also considerably faster than Vista SP1. "None of this bodes well for Vista, which is now more than two times slower than the most current builds of its older sibling," said Barth.
While Microsoft was not available for comment over the weekend about XP's performance, it defended Vista SP1 after Devil Mountain's first round of tests. "We appreciate the excitement to evaluate Windows Vista SP1 as soon as possible. However, the service pack is still in the development phase and will undergo several changes before being released," a spokeswoman said.
Microsoft has at times struggled to wean users from the six-year-old Windows XP and get them to migrate to Vista. During 2007, for example, it made several XP concessions, including adding five years to the support lifespan of the Home edition and extending OEM and retail sales of XP through June 2008, as it recognised that customers wanted to hold on to the older OS.
Recently, Forrester Research said that XP remained Vista's biggest rival, and cited survey data that showed American and European businesses would delay Vista deployment, in part because of application incompatibility issues with the new OS. "That's causing a lot of XP shops to take a wait-and-see approach to Vista," said Forrester analyst Benjamin Gray two weeks ago.
Related articles:
Comments
Dave Hancocks said: Vista Vs XP - When Microsoft forces me to upgrade to Vista it will cost me a fortune in replacing the REAL programs I use every day that are suddenly incompatible The upgrade advisor also tells me that I need - A new Graphics Card - New Sound Card - Bigger Hard Drive - More memory Will I change - NO
AP said: To be quite honest this really doesnt come as much as a suprise Vista is sooo sloow I think ill just duel boot into XP rather than wasting my life infront of some shiney pile of rubbish
AP said: To be quite honest this really doesnt come as much as a suprise Vista is sooo sloow I think ill just duel boot into XP rather than wasting my life infront of some shiney pile of rubbish
anthony mawson said: i am an ardent xp pro fan but at the same time i got a laptop with vista ultimate edition preloaded and must admit it is running really well some issues with software but by pre-empting and setting up with xp defaults they are no hassle many tasks run much faster some not BUT its early days so for me keeping xp pro on my other machhines is simply economics but that said i am v happy to hear about SP3 eh my only real complaint is that it costs too much i am an artist and spent my all on the hardware and would like to have a NON oem copy but cannot afford it best anthony
Paul said: Why is it that if you have Vista amp XP installed on the same system Vista refuses to load amp defaults to XPIs it that Vista Knows XP is better
Jungle John said: hmmmJust like XBOX 360vista was rushed people wont wanna downgrade to vista anytime soon all there is are problem after problem Vista will be ok once they squeeze all the from it but till then xp is the best OS on the market
priory-nu-man said: It seems that the practice of rushing out a product Vista to maximise profit without the proper development being completed has caught up with MS in this instance User power and growing knowledge have stalled the uptake of flaky product and rightly so
xpnumpty said: Is this a 10 increase over XP SP2 in 2004 or a 10 increase over SP2 equipped with all the subsequent updates delivered to 2007
Pineman100 said: If SP3 will boost the speed of XP thats yet another reason for me to reject the lame carthorse that is Vista The carthorse may wear some pretty tack but under all the fluff its still a carthorse I love XP