the difference between xp home & xp pro?

[luvvbuzz]

hey is anybody out there able to tell me the difference between xp hom and xp pro, i dont mean the price i mean what can pro do that home edition cannot? why would one choose xp pro over the home edition? i am just shopping for a new os and wanted to see if in my own opinion xp pro was worth shelling out the extra dough for?

[DereX888]

Most important difference is that XP Home uses only FAT32 (theoretically, because it is possible to overcome this idiotic msoft's decision), while XP Pro can use both FAT32 and NTFS (also theoretically, because I dont think any sane person would use FAT32).
Other than that Home has less options than Pro (theoretically again, because it is possible to have everything the same as Pro has).
Anything msoft releases as 'lite', 'home', 'Me' () is bound to be cheapsucker's more fuckedup version (as oppose to less fuckedup 'full' or 'pro' versions of their stuff).

Are you serious about your intention to buy msoft OS?
holly molly!!

[glockjs]

yes it deffinately is worth the extra money...xp home is pure crap. alot more hardware restrictions.

[luvvbuzz]

what sort of hardware restrictions are you meaning? i am the sort that doesnt tweak my computers set up that much, i install latest drivers and thats about it i just run it all like that, so if thats the kind of hardware restrictions you refer to then i guess pro might not be the os for me? so could you elaborate on 'hardware restrictions' please?

[Capmaster]

Most important difference is that XP Home uses only FAT32 (theoretically, because it is possible to overcome this idiotic msoft's decision), while XP Pro can use both FAT32 and NTFS (also theoretically, because I dont think any sane person would use FAT32).
Other than that Home has less options than Pro (theoretically again, because it is possible to have everything the same as Pro has).
Anything msoft releases as 'lite', 'home', 'Me' () is bound to be cheapsucker's more fuckedup version (as oppose to less fuckedup 'full' or 'pro' versions of their stuff).

Are you serious about your intention to buy msoft OS?
holly molly!!

I have XP Home on my main machine. I bought with the OS installed, and the file system already configured, and it's NTFS.

Any NT-based OS since NT 3.1 allows NTFS or FAT (16 ...or 32 on later ones) and offers easy conversion to NTFS using the run command "Convert c: /fs:NTFS" and, for a while there in the '90s, even a hybrid FS named HPFS (high-perf. file sys)

[glockjs]

ok maybe ALOT is a little of an overstatement, but i know there are some. i remember something to do with ram. i think theres a limit. alot of pro has to do with networking too. ya might wanna do a google search.

[bazooka]

Pro has better networking support, remote desktop connection, the encrypting file system, and a longer support cycle.

Home has none of those features.

The support cycle for home will expire before the support cycle for pro.

Pro also automaticall installs the backup feature.

Home doesn't. It is buried on the install cd, and you have to install it from the cd.

Pro also has more administrative and security features.

Last but not least - Home is for average users.
Pro is for advanced users and business.

[rallynavvie]

Let's not forget: XP Pro supports SMP!

Actually if you're looking for a new OS and are considering XP Pro you should check out MCE 2005. It's basically XP Pro with the Media Center app built in. Just in case you want an HTPC sometime later.
https://www.videohelp.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=243992

[luvvbuzz]

whats smp then?

[makntraks]

If you have XP home and it works for you.... the question is moot.......

That's just me...,
makntraks

[bazooka]

whats smp then?

SMP= Simple Management Protocol

[tekkieman]

Don't forget that Home does not have IIS either.

[rallynavvie]

whats smp then?

SMP= Simple Management Protocol

huh?

[bazooka]

whats smp then?

SMP= Simple Management Protocol

huh?

It is short for SNMP2.

It is also short for Symmetric Multiprocessing.

http://www.webopedia.com/TERM/S/SMP.html

[luvvbuzz]

whats smp then?

SMP= Simple Management Protocol

huh?

It is short for SNMP2.

It is also short for Symmetric Multiprocessing.

http://www.webopedia.com/TERM/S/SMP.html

jesus why didnt ya just say that before? not sure i need smp though, bit technical for me!

[bazooka]

If you do not need the technical stuff, then I recommend you stay with xp home.

[rallynavvie]

It is also short for Symmetric Multiprocessing.
http://www.webopedia.com/TERM/S/SMP.html

Yeah, that's the one :P

What is it you're planning on using this computer for?

[stiltman]

Well since not one person actually answered the question fully
Look here for the full answer
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/pro/howtobuy/choosing2.mspx

BTW, get the Pro version

[ViRaL1]

From what rallynavvie says about MCE being based on Pro is true, you'better off with that, AND it's cheaper.

[simonko]

XP Pro can do Domain networking. Also it has many more usefull snap-ins.

[ViRaL1]

Remote desktop can be downloaded and run on XP Home.

[rallynavvie]

I think you mean the client. You can connect to computers that have RD enabled.
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/downloads/tools/default.mspx

There are other apps that do the same thing that RD does however.

[DereX888]

Remote Desktop can be used as part of NetMeeting in *any* Windows since Windows95 LOL
Its just Msoft separated it from the rest of NetMeeting and gave it separate GUI in XP - it doesnt make it anything new.

In any XP (or any windows version) just go to RUN, type CONF.EXE and hit enter. NetMeeting in its all glory will comeback to your desktop
Then go to Tools, select Remote Desktop Sharing and set it up, thats all.
Ive been using NM RDS (NetMeeting Remote Desktop Sharing) since I had Win95 to control my home puters from work hehe

[DereX888]

Any NT-based OS since NT 3.1 allows NTFS or FAT (16 ...or 32 on later ones) and offers easy conversion to NTFS using the run command "Convert c: /fs:NTFS" and, for a while there in the '90s, even a hybrid FS named HPFS (high-perf. file sys)

I thought XP Home have to be run on FAT32 only, I didnt knew old NT conerter would work on it. Apparently I was mistaken.

I thought HPFS stands for Hewlett Packard File System?

[888888]

I have XP Home and honestly don't miss or ever feel the desire for the Pro features.

[bazooka]

Any NT-based OS since NT 3.1 allows NTFS or FAT (16 ...or 32 on later ones) and offers easy conversion to NTFS using the run command "Convert c: /fs:NTFS" and, for a while there in the '90s, even a hybrid FS named HPFS (high-perf. file sys)

I thought XP Home have to be run on FAT32 only, I didnt knew old NT conerter would work on it. Apparently I was mistaken.

I thought HPFS stands for Hewlett Packard File System?

XP is based on 2000 which was based on NT, so it has the NT kernel.

XP home can do NTFS as well as Fat32.

[ViRaL1]

IIRC NTFS is based on HPFS.

BTW, anybody remember NT 3.1?

I got it the day it came out. Couldn't do a whole lot with it because I didn't have SCSI and ATAPI support wasn't available yet. I DID become very familiar with the setup though.

[bazooka]

Yeah, I remember NT 3.1.