|
Import and edit your home movies:
Put yourself in the director's chair. Import and edit video from your analog or digital camcorder. Then splice scenes easily or add
graphics, narration, and musical scores. When you're done, Windows Movie Maker helps you share your creation with friends and family
via e-mail or on a Web site. |
|
Our editorial comment:
Can you actually import and edit video from either a digital or analog camcorder, add graphics, splice scenes together, add
narration and the like? Yes you can! However, your computer will need the necessary horsepower to do this, and we wouldn't
recommend anything less then a 600MHz CPU, 128MB of memory, a powerful graphics video card along with plenty of extra hard
drive space, 10MB minimum. Can it be done with less? Yes it can, especially if you have allot of free time on your hands
waiting for operations to complete. |
|
Move your photo collection from a shoebox to the Web:
Working with photos in Windows Me is a snap. As soon as you connect your digital camera to your computer, Windows Me displays a helpful
wizard that makes it easy to import and store your digital images. Then use the new "My Pictures" folder to browse thumbnails
of your photos, enlarge them to show more detail, or even arrange the images in a slide show. Whatever you eventually create, you can
share in e-mail or on the Web. |
|
Our editorial comment:
Can you work with your photos in Windows ME such as downloading them from a digital camera and store them on your computer? Yes,
if the camera is compatible. Can you enlarge them or make up a slide show? Yes, you can do both. However don't expect to be able
to do too much with your pictures in Windows ME, other than simply downloading them, adjusting their size, storing them and maybe
making up a simple film strip. For anything else, you will need better software, such as Picture It, Adobe, Print Shop etc. |
|
Archive and index your favorite music:
Windows Me offers the first fully integrated digital media experience, giving you the power to create and index a library of
CD-quality audio files that you can store on your computer. Windows Media™ Player also makes it easy for you to watch and listen to
streaming multimedia content, including a vast catalog of Internet radio stations. You can customize your listening experience by
choosing visualizations that move in rhythm with the music, or by changing the player's appearance by assigning it a new
"skin." |
|
Our editorial comment:
Microsoft has done a great job with their new Windows Media™ Player, and indeed you can create a store a library of
sounds and even add them to visual media, however as noted in our remarks above regarding video editing, your computer
will need the necessary horsepower to do this. Again, we wouldn't recommend anything less then a 600MHz CPU, 128MB of
memory, a powerful graphics video card along with plenty of extra hard drive space, 10MB minimum. Can it be done with
less? Yes it can, but its just a matter of how much free time you have to wait for processes to finish. |
|
Protect your critical files:
Windows Me won’t allow your critical system files to be deleted or altered, either by accident or by a malicious virus or rogue
application. |
|
Our editorial comment:
Microsoft has finally added something new and worthwhile to a Windows 9x based operating system by adding file protection. We
cannot count the number of times customers have contacted us about their computers not working properly, only to find out that they
had added software that had replaced current system files with older versions. More importantly, with the number of virus
infections on the rise, this will go a long way in stopping reducing the number of system crashes due to an virus infection or
Trojan on a PC. Inherently, computer users get comfortable and complacent in between virus outbreaks and they let their guard
down. This is when their PC's are most vulnerable. |
|
Revert your computer back to normal:
If anything ever goes wrong on your computer, System Restore can roll your system back to the state it was in when all was well. |
|
Our editorial comment:
Here's another great feature Microsoft has finally added, an easy way to roll your system back to a time before the problems began.
Many times users add software without making sure its compatible or that it may conflict with existing software. This can lead to
anything from some minor errors to completely inoperable computers. This is a gem that's been a long time coming for the
average user. |
|
Find the answers you need:
The improved Help and Support area in Windows Me integrates help for your computer, operating system, and software programs into one
location. Get the help you need faster, with better, easier-to-read troubleshooting menus. |
|
Our editorial comment:
We agree that Microsoft has made some great strides in clearing up the way its help section works, and the new wizards will be a boon
to both experienced and not so experienced users alike. |
|
Use your computer to program your VCR and thermostat:
Windows Me provides new support for existing and upcoming Universal Plug and Play devices. In the future, you'll be able to drag and
drop a TV listing from an Internet site into your VCR or DVD player, or control home temperature settings from your computer. |
|
Our editorial comment:
We think Microsoft may have tried a little bit of a stretch here, maybe trying to get to the "Top 10". Anyway, can your
personal computer or business workstation be used to program your VCR, home entertainment system, set alarm systems, turn lights on
and off remotely, yes it can, but that isn't new. If you have these devices and they have the necessary connections to allow
connection to your PC, all you need is the software, something that has been available now for about 3 years. |
|
Link your household’s computers
Hooking up all the computers in your household is a breeze with Windows Me. It automatically detects and shares available resources,
such as printers and folders, on your home network. |
|
Our editorial comment:
Microsoft has indeed made improvements in home networking in Windows ME. They have added a ton of support for new network
devices, and the network wizard is the best thus far out of all of the Windows 9x based operating systems. |
|
Contact friends and co-workers more efficiently than ever:
Outlook Express, MSN® Messenger Service, and NetMeeting work together to make communicating easier and more efficient. Log
on to the Web from virtually anywhere in the world and check e-mail, chat with friends, or conduct a live meeting with colleagues. |
|
Our editorial comment:
Microsoft has made another stretch here, maybe this one was to get to the "Top 10". Anyway, Outlook Express has been around
a while, as has NetMeeting. MSN Messenger is new, but then again, its right up there with ICQ. Nothing new here. |
|
Take gaming to the next level:
Increased network support in Windows Me lets you go toe-to-toe with your housemates over a home network, or challenge an anonymous
competitor over the Internet. |
Our editorial comment:
Microsoft has made an effort in Windows ME to improve gaming on personal computers, especially on home networks and game play over
the Internet. Like some of the other new features mentioned above, your computer may require some additional horsepower to play some
of these games, especially in a home network environment, but Windows ME can handle it. |
