Chapter 2. Introducing Windows XP

The most noticeable change in Windows XP is the new user interface. Compared to other versions of Windows, this interface is almost dazzling when you start it the first time. The dramatic wallpaper, updated colors, and lack of 3D buttons all serve to set this version of Windows apart from its predecessors. A friend of mine calls it a “poke in the eye” interface, indicating the effect of all those colors the first time you see it.

Fortunately, many of the same Windows 9x and Windows 2000 interface features are in Windows XP. You’ll still see a Start Menu on the left side of the display and the Taskbar tray on the right. Windows Explorer is still your window to the world of Windows, and you’ll still use the Taskbar ...

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