Windows FLP (Fundamentals for Legacy PCs) is a Windows Xp edition designed for work on obsolete computers, like on a Pentium II 233mhz with 64mb of ram. Microsoft did this version for big companies that owns thousands of obsolete PCs, and so, they will be "forced" to migrate to linux (unless they do an huge investment).
What will happen if this version will be installed on a latest Core2Duo?....   

Where to buy Windows FLP?
Is not on sale in shops.
There are two known way to get it:

• You download illegally from eMule / Bittorrent
• You call Microsoft and join their "Software Assurance" program, with a minimum order of hundreds of licences.

So, this is kinda like a "secret" version of Windows

Let's analyze it!

Insert the installation cd in your drive and...

Click to enlarge

but... it isn't xp?

No, the setup process is totally different:

What?? Where is the historical "Blue" DOS setup???
They do a secret version for a few big companies and they put a such advanced setup?!?

The amazingly short licence remembers us the price of this software:

The only one edition of Windows XP where you can choose to not install IE6
Additionally, you can install a "complete support to xp sp2" (this says the setup wizard)

The wikipedia says that the setup process erases the hard drive, it looks like it is not true! The partition process is WAY more friendly than XP! YAY!

Windows flp demands a strong password, case-sensitive, alphanumeric and different from username. That's the opposite of XP home, where the password is empty by default.

"windows" is not ok, "w1nd0ws" neither, only "W1Nd0wS" can be accepted
It must be very strong. Remember this is designed for big companies.

By the way, you can change it easily, by following this procedure.

Let's wait the end of the setup process:

When you login, you get an explanation, on how to reboot press ctrl-alt-del. This is a legacy inherited by the NT system. In this way there is an "enhanced security". Doing this key combo before login, we can be sure that this is not a fake login windows; if it was fake, the menu will appear, or the computer will reboot. Smart, right?

The control panel is complete, is not limited, as the wikipedia says.

The search wizard comes from Windows 2000! YAY! Goodbye XP dog! For a such illogical reason, the "search" icon is missing from the start menu, but you can put it back

By default the reboot after a BSOD is disabled, good

But, by default is also disabled the system restore... a bit bad

Ctrl-alt-del has the same effect of a Windows 2000 system

You can see that it very efficient in terms of RAM consumption. VMware tools it can also be installed.

It looks like there is not an "auto-login" option or a "disable safe login" option, unlikely to Windows 2000. This is how to auto-login in Windows FLP. This is a bit unpractical, because you are forced to do the key combo to access every time.:

You are not english? Insert one of the 3 MUIPAK CDs, and insert it on the drive:

You can select your language with just a click

Voila, no reboot required

The shutdown menu is "old-style"

The wikipedia also says that this OS is not so compatible with old applications. Let's do a test! I will load some 16-bit applications that newer 64-bit systems won't be able to load.
So, i load Windows 3.11

I copy some software on a virtual floppy

I load:

You can see the help:

It may seems normal, but Vista (intentionally) does not open old *.hlp files! (unless you don't install an hlp visualizer)

16-bit programs test: SUCCESS!!!

Wow, the wikipedia was wrong

Something wrong will happen if you go on "about"

But, honestly, this is an useless version, and this error also occurs on Windows XP.

According to wikipedia, Windows FLP is not able to run Microsoft Office 2003 and 2007.
Wrong! 
Office 2007 works perfectly!

Now i will try something strange... to convert this system in XP Pro:

Fail!

Will it blend the WGA test?

...
...
FAILED AGAIN! 

It's a pity i wanted to see if it was possible to install IE7...
...
Let's try the Eth0 wgalegitckeckcontrol.dll workaround
...
fail?

... FAIL!

It is a pity that does not blend the WGA... but there always a way to make it "blend"

So, here is Internet Explorer 7 installed on Windows FLP (note the updates icon, you can update if you "fix" it)

Also Windows Media Player 11:

And the latest Windows Live Messenger 9.0 to chat on MSN:

Now i try to install Internet Explorer 8, is not supported by Microsoft:

And then, you can install the Media Center skin

A good OS, right?