Yesterday, while I was updating my Windows 7 for my laptop, I decided to check for online shops for Windows XP Pro. One of the google results catched my attention, Windows XP SP3 Performance Edition. So out of curiousity I checked the site since it was a part of a torrent haven (for security reasons I will not disclose the name of the site). One the features that really amazed me is the installation file which is only 178MB. That’s like around 420MB less than the original size of the legit installer.

DISCLAIMER (Please read before proceeding)
The following review has NO intention to promote, distribute or sell the operating system. The contents of this review is purely according to my own observation and analysis. I downloaded the file at my own risk and I will NOT in any way give out the link to anyone. I will not be held responsible for viruses or any malicious programs you may find in the vast world of Internet. Piracy is a crime. Always use genuine products. DOWNLOAD AT YOUR OWN RISK.

INSTALLATION
So after seeing the review, I immediately downloaded the file to check out what’s in it and what it’s capable of.  The download didn’t actually took to long since there were a lot of people who seeded the file. The comments on the file description also tells me that these people actually had tried it. On that point, it made me think a lot of people must’ve liked it. The file is actually in an ISO format which means you’ll need to burn it in a CD before you can actually install the OS. The OS requires a full installation which means you cannot upgrade an existing Windows XP Pro into this so called Performance Edition. It took me around 15-20mins to complete the installation in my desktop with minimal specs (1GB RAM, Sempron 2500+, 80GB IDE Drive). That’s 10-20 minutes difference from the original one. It passes WGA and works 100% with windows update. The serial is already included in the installation process. This is the x86 version (32 Bit)

LANGUAGE
It ONLY supports English language and and English keyboard layouts. So, I still don’t know if it has a workaround on this feature.

REMOVED FEATURES
Briefcase, Games, Internet Games, Pinball, Screensavers, Classic Windows Xp Installation Screen which includes the blue background. Also some of the following have also been removed: Drivers, Hardware Support, Multimedia (which includes Windows Media Player and default Windows Sounds), a few network applications like (Windows Messenger), Operating System Options (Web tour, File and Settings Wizard…etc), Services (Telnet and such), and Directories (Docs, Support, Valueadd)

The minimum hard disk requirement have also been lifted so you can also try installing this on whatever machine you want. The high compression of ISO saves a lot of space.

TWEAKS
Well, aside from the removed programs there’s these good stuffs they’ve improved like the Boot and Shutdown (auto end tasks immediately, auto kill hung applications and services immediately) and a whole lot more.

CONLUSION
Of 2 days of trying it out, it was pretty stable and works well with installed programs. Didn’t change my internet speed, no viruses found in the system, saved me a lot of disk space. Again, download at your own risk!

PIRACY IS A CRIME, IF YOU’RE HAPPY WITH IT, BUY THE GENUINE PRODUCT.