Windows XP has finally entered that final, almost boring, stage of development, where the product doesn't change that much from build to build, but bugs are squashed, the user interface is refined, and small visual changes are added in a bid to improve its fit and finish. Since the release of Windows XP Beta 2 in late March, very little has changed: The product is still a world-class upgrade to both Windows 9x/Me and Windows NT/2000, and most of the improvements are subtle rather than monumental.

With that in mind, this review will focus on what's changed since Beta 2. For more information about Windows XP, I recommend checking out the numerous other articles I've written, including but not limited to:

Windows XP Beta 2 reviewed
What to Expect from Windows XP RC1   NEW!
Windows XP RC1 User Interface Image Gallery   NEW!
Windows XP 64-bit Edition & Windows Advanced Server LE Revealed
Windows XP Beta 2 Tips 'n' Tricks
Windows XP Home Edition vs. Professional Edition   UPDATED!
Windows XP Software and Hardware Compatibility
Deploying Windows XP
Windows XP Home Features
Windows XP Networking: Wireless and Home Networking
Introducing the Windows XP "Luna" Interface

OK, let's take a look at what's new in RC1!

User interface and shell
Visual changes to Windows XP RC1 encompass two areas--the somewhat artistic choices of icons, color schemes, and graphical elements; and the general streamlining of the user interface, where clutter is reduced and the overall look and feel is tweaked and improved. Windows XP just looks better than previous versions of Windows and it makes it easier to accomplish tasks by exposing functionality directly in the shell. For RC1, Microsoft has simply improved on the interface jihad that was first seen in Beta 2.

The changes are first obvious when you install Windows XP: The Setup routine (Figure) has been overhauled and branded with Windows XP logos and marketing information. The boot logo has been branded as well (Figure), with a new pulsating progress bar. And the Welcome screen has been tweaked a bit with an animated, waving Windows flag.

Once you to logon to the system, a number of other small changes are apparent. The desktop is now completely devoid of icons, other than the Recycle Bin, and the Quickstart bar--previously on by default in the Professional Edition--is now off by default (Figure). The effect is extremely clean and streamlined. Both Home Edition and Professional have a new Windows XP wallpaper image--Home's is green (Figure), while Pro's is a blue-gray color (Figure).

The Start Menu is now stocked with a number of default application shortcuts, including Windows Media Player, MSN Explorer, Windows Movie Maker, Tour Windows XP, and Files and Settings Transfer Wizard (Figure). One empty spot is reserved for the first application you actually run, but curiously, the Microsoft-placed shortcuts don't remove themselves at all, or for a long period of time, which I find a bit dishonest. (Note: OEM installs--such as those performed by a PC maker--will have three open slots so that the PC maker can add shortcuts to their own application bundles). New additions to the Start Menu include Recent Documents and Printers and Fax, which was added at the request of corporate testers.

Throughout the shell, there are attractive new icons, and the last vestiges of old icons--some of which dated back to Windows 3.1--are finally removed. A new Windows XP Tour advertises itself when you sign on the first time (Figure); the tour offers a Flash-based animated version (Figure) as well as a static HTML version (Figure).

Taskbar buttons have been changed to more closely resemble actual buttons, in response to suggestions from testers (Figure). And when a window needs to send a notification, its taskbar button turns orange (Figure); in Beta 2, only the top portion of the button would change color. The new color change is effective and non-intrusive.