Re: xp or professional

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jch wrote:
in the process of buying new laptop for home use - what extras do you get with prof as opposed to xp many thanks


"Home use" is an awfully vague and term when it comes to determining the suitability of a computer or operating system. There is, to my knowledge, no such thing as a standard, generic home. More important, by far, than the computer's physical location are the uses to which the computer will be put. What specific tasks will be performed by the computer? What specific applications will be used? How many hours per day will the computer be used?

I'm going to assume that you're asking about the differences between Windows XP Home Edition and Windows XP Professional Edition, as there is no "prof as opposed to xp" choice available. Frankly, if you don't already know that WinXP Pro's additional features are needed to meet your needs, than you can very probably find that WinXP Home meets all of your needs.

The WinXP Home and WinXP Pro editions are _identical_ when it comes to performance, stability, and device driver and software application compatibility, but are intended to meet different functionality, networking, security, and ease-of-use needs, in different environments. The most significant differences are that WinXP Pro allows up to 10 simultaneous inbound network connections while WinXP Home only allows only 5, WinXP Pro is designed to join a Microsoft domain while WinXP Home cannot, and only WinXP Pro supports file encryption and IIS. (Oh, and WinXP Pro usually costs roughly $100 USD more than WinXP Home.)

Windows XP Comparison Guide
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/home/howtobuy/choosing2.asp

Which Edition Is Right for You
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/whichxp.asp

Windows XP Home Edition vs. Professional Edition
http://www.winsupersite.com/showcase/windowsxp_home_pro.asp


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