2000 compatible?

[Guest]

I have an old computer that I can't get rid of, and I still want home networking capabilities... my one question is can a home network be established between a system running windows xp professional and windows 2000 professional?

 

[Steve Winograd [MVP]]

I have an old computer that I can't get rid of, and I still want home networking capabilities... my one question is can a home network be established between a system running windows xp professional and windows 2000 professional?

Yes. All versions of Windows released in the past 10+ years can
network with each other.
--
Best Wishes,
Steve Winograd, MS-MVP (Windows Networking)

Please post any reply as a follow-up message in the news group
for everyone to see. I'm sorry, but I don't answer questions
addressed directly to me in E-mail or news groups.

Microsoft Most Valuable Professional Program
http://mvp.support.microsoft.com

 

[*Vanguard*]

"Steve Winograd [MVP]" said in

Yes. All versions of Windows released in the past 10+ years can
network with each other.

My brain cells holding that info from that long ago have long died off
so I had to go look it up. I think all the starred versions in the
following list had networking included or could be updated to include
it.

Seattle DOS - the start of Bill Gates empire, bought Jul 1981

Windows 1.01 (released Nov 1985)
Windows 1.03 (released Aug 1986)
Windows 2.02 (released Nov 1987)
Windows/286, Windows/386 2.10 (released Apr 1988)
Windows/286, Windows/386 2.11 (released Mar 1989)
Windows 3.0 (released May 1990)
Windows 3.0a (released Oct 1991)
* Windows 3.1 (released Apr 1992)
* Windows for Workgroups 3.1 (released Oct 1992)
* Windows NT 3.1 (released Aug 1993)
* Windows 3.11 (released Dec 1993)
* Windows for Workgroups 3.11 (released Dec 1993)
* Windows NT 3.5 (released Sep 1994)
* Windows NT 3.51 (released May 1995)
* Windows 95 (released Aug 1995)
* Windows NT 4.0 (released Aug 1996)
* Windows 95 OSR2; aka Windows 95A (released Sep 1996)
* Windows 98 (released Jun 1998)
* Windows 98SE (released May 1999)
* Windows NT 5.0; aka Windows 2000 (released Feb 2000)
* Windows ME (released Sep 2000)
* Windows NT 5.1; aka Windows XP (released Oct 2001)

See http://windows.about.com/library/weekly/aa010218a.htm for the
Windows timeline. These are not all versions of Windows. These are the
official *release* dates. Release Candidates, Previews, and such are
not listed. So it has been 12 years since Windows has had networking.
Steve was damn close with his 10 year guess. I cannot attest that
versions before Windows 3.1 did or did not have networking, so it could
be longer than 12 years.

I think it was 1984 when I bought my first PC-AT using a 0% loan through
Sperry (now Unisys), my employer back then (been on mainframes since
1974, and afterward, too). Windows/386 was the first version that I
remember seeing on store shelves but I didn't get it until Windows 3.1.

23 years and Bill becomes the richest man on Earth. Now who was that
guy that was his partner at the beginning? Paul Allen. So what
happened to him? According to http://snipurl.com/626i, he is the second
largest stockholder so he can't be doing too bad, either (if he is still
alive).

 

[Guest]

thanks alot... i just didn't want to waste my time trying to connect to a network that won't take windows 2000

 

[Bill Castner]

A nice summary of Windows. DOS support for networking precedes by at
least six years the first Windows implementation.

And you can still use it today to connect to a Windows LAN.

But the reason for my post is that Paul Allen is very much alive, and
while not in a Microsoft presence, he has deep connections,
investments and interests in professional sports, technology of many
kinds, space travel, SETI type explorations, the arts, and other
things.

An unusual, and gifted man, who has made significant personal and
philanthropic achievements in a great number of interesting areas.

And very much alive.