The
Windows XP Interface
The Windows XP Interface is slightly different than previous versions of Windows. Ok, that was an understatement. Quite frankly, the new interface takes some getting used to!
The first thing you'll notice (if you installed XP yourself fresh) is the lack of desktop icons. In the illustration below, I actually had to add some desktop icons to make them appear. Normally, they wouldn't be there.
Click to see a larger version
In addition, the Start Menu is different, the System Tray hides unused icons (my favorite feature of Windows XP), and windows will "stack" similar windows when you start filling up the Taskbar. At first, I found this feature annoying but grew to love it. I can have 20 Internet Explorer windows open at once and only have one tab on the Taskbar for Internet Explorer. What an interface improver!
If you find after playing with the Interface, you want to return to the "days of old" with the classic Windows look, its easy to change back. Check out our How to Change Your Windows XP Interface to Look Like the Classic Windows tutorial to find out how easy.
Good, for those of you who have decided to stick it through and learn the Windows XP environment, I am confident after you use it for awhile, you will grow to love it.
First, let's look at the Start menu.
Related Resources
Make Windows XP Look Like Windows ME or Windows 2000
Return to the free Windows XP Learning Center
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