latency info for computers producing audio

["loop.pool" <rickwalker@looppool.info>]

Hasn't Windows XP significantly improved the operational latency over 
Win98,
Andy?

My new computer has that really incredibly fast motherboard and the RAM 
that
supports it
(I forget what it is called as a good friend of mine custom built the
machine for me).   I think
its 'throughput' (if I have the right term) is something like 6 or 8 times
faster than my old Dell computer
(which has a P4 1300 mghz processor in it).    Pardon my computer naivite,
but does this improve
latency at all or is it always going to be only as fast as the operating
system.

One thing I have noticed is that the new P4 2200 mghz WinXP machine is
considerably faster at processing
everything than my  (new to me) G4 Titanium laptop.