Every few years, Microsoft unleashes its latest version of Windows amid a marketing blitz that desperately tries to convince business professionals, IT administrators, home users, and PC enthusiasts to drop everything and buy a copy. Every step in Windows' evolution from 95 to Me has seen new claims that the operating system is easier than ever to use and the new features are absolutely indispensable. But there's rarely much incentive to rush out and upgrade the OS on a system that runs well. In combining the power of a Windows NT core with the polish of a consumer OS, Windows XP is the most compelling overhaul of Windows we've seen in a while.