Which OS to buy?

  • Thread starter Thread starter Guest
  • Start date Start date
G

Guest

I'm getting ready to buy a new high-end computer for home. I plan to use it
for multimedia and general computing. Also, have a home network. I want the
multimedia functions of XP MCE, but like the security of XP Professional.
What are the important differences between the two versions, and which would
I be better off with? If I get the MCE, can I still do general computing?
Thanks
 
| I'm getting ready to buy a new high-end computer for home. I plan to use
it
| for multimedia and general computing. Also, have a home network. I want
the
| multimedia functions of XP MCE, but like the security of XP Professional.
| What are the important differences between the two versions, and which
would
| I be better off with? If I get the MCE, can I still do general computing?
| Thanks

MCE is a superset of XP Pro, so there's no choice involved--you get MCE, you
get XP Pro. BTW, I knew General Computing when he was only a lieutenant.
 
MCE is a superset of XP Pro, so there's no choice involved--you get
MCE, you get XP Pro. BTW, I knew General Computing when he was only
a lieutenant.
Click to expand...

He was first cousin to General Disaster I think...
 
I'm getting ready to buy a new high-end computer for home. I plan to use it
for multimedia and general computing. Also, have a home network. I want the
multimedia functions of XP MCE, but like the security of XP Professional.
What are the important differences between the two versions, and which would
I be better off with? If I get the MCE, can I still do general computing?
Thanks
Click to expand...

MCE2005 has all of the features of Windows XP Pro SP2 with the important
difference that it cannot be joined to a domain after setup. If you can do
it on XP Pro (other than what I've already mentioned) then you can do it on
MCE. There are additional hardware requirements for the MCE components to
work so make sure you have a compatible sound, video and tuner card if you
want all the functionality of MCE. If you are buying a machine with MCE
already installed then it will already have the necessary hardware
components.
--
Tom Porterfield
MS-MVP Windows
http://support.telop.org

Please post all follow-ups to the newsgroup only.
 
| On 09/12/2004 Raymond J. Johnson Jr. wrote:
|
| >
| > | > > I'm getting ready to buy a new high-end computer for home. I plan
| > > to use
| > it
| > > for multimedia and general computing. Also, have a home network.
| > > I want
| > the
| > > multimedia functions of XP MCE, but like the security of XP
| > > Professional. What are the important differences between the two
| > > versions, and which
| > would
| > > I be better off with? If I get the MCE, can I still do general
| > > computing? Thanks
| >
| > MCE is a superset of XP Pro, so there's no choice involved--you get
| > MCE, you get XP Pro. BTW, I knew General Computing when he was only
| > a lieutenant.
|
| He was first cousin to General Disaster I think...
|
| --
| Jeff Gaines Damerham Hampshire UK
| Posted with XanaNews 1.16.5.2 http://www.wilsonc.demon.co.uk/delphi.htm

And a close friend of Corporal Punishment.
 
If you can afford it, go ahead and purchase MCE already installed on a
machine built for it. They're awesome, and I love mine. You can play and
pause live tv, convert analog data like old LPs to digital, you can easily
make DVDs of home movies, and the TV is almost as good as TIVO.

The only thing I regret with mine is that I purchased it from Gateway, and
Gateway doesn't offer an upgrade. Visiting their Web site I found that for
my particular model I'll have to buy a new machine. HP and other companies
are offering an upgrade, so before you choose, make sure to do your
homework.

Joli
 
MCE is a superset of XP Pro, so there's no choice involved--you get MCE, you
get XP Pro. BTW, I knew General Computing when he was only a lieutenant.
Click to expand...

No longer 100% true, see my other reply.
--
Tom Porterfield
MS-MVP Windows
http://support.telop.org

Please post all follow-ups to the newsgroup only.
 
| On Thu, 9 Dec 2004 11:03:49 -0600, Raymond J. Johnson Jr. wrote:
|
| > MCE is a superset of XP Pro, so there's no choice involved--you get MCE,
you
| > get XP Pro. BTW, I knew General Computing when he was only a
lieutenant.
|
| No longer 100% true, see my other reply.
| --
| Tom Porterfield
| MS-MVP Windows
| http://support.telop.org
|
| Please post all follow-ups to the newsgroup only.

Thanks for the correction.
 
A machine cannot be built with Windows XP Media Center Edition 2005 Home
Page
You have to buy everything already to go.
 
A machine cannot be built with Windows XP Media Center Edition 2005
Home Page
You have to buy everything already to go.
Click to expand...

That's no longer true, you can buy it with hardware now. I believe
there's a company selling it with an infra red remote control.
 
No "beliving" just list the facts on which site.

Jeff Gaines said:
That's no longer true, you can buy it with hardware now. I believe
there's a company selling it with an infra red remote control.
Click to expand...
 
I appreciate everyone's input. It's amazing that I couldn't find this info
on Microsoft's product pages. Mostly, I was interested in the remote access,
file encryption, and security of XP Pro. Sounds like all of this is also in
MCE.
By the way, Tiger Direct sells the XP MCE software, hardware, and remote
bundle. Here is the URL
http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=1108025&CatId=672

"Pete"
wrote:http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/...sers&mid=653132bd-cc2c-4742-939e-3211118385a2
 
Tom said:
MCE2005 has all of the features of Windows XP Pro SP2 with the
important difference that it cannot be joined to a domain after
setup. If you can do it on XP Pro (other than what I've already
mentioned) then you can do it on MCE. There are additional hardware
requirements for the MCE components to work so make sure you have a
compatible sound, video and tuner card if you want all the
functionality of MCE. If you are buying a machine with MCE already
installed then it will already have the necessary hardware components.
Click to expand...


Tell me, Thomas, can MCE2005 (with the necessary hardware) do what MCE2004
couldn't - i.e. record one channel whilst you're watching another? I beta
tested 2004 and thought that it was ridiculous that a £1000 PC (as they were
at the time) couldn't do what a £150 Sky+ box could. I mean who wants to
record the same channel that they're watching?! What's the point in that -
if you're watching something why would you feel the need to record it
(unless for someone else)?
 
Tell me, Thomas, can MCE2005 (with the necessary hardware) do what MCE2004
couldn't - i.e. record one channel whilst you're watching another? I beta
tested 2004 and thought that it was ridiculous that a £1000 PC (as they were
at the time) couldn't do what a £150 Sky+ box could. I mean who wants to
record the same channel that they're watching?! What's the point in that -
if you're watching something why would you feel the need to record it
(unless for someone else)?
Click to expand...

MCE 2005 supports dual tuners. So if your MCE PC has two supported tuner
cards you could use one card for recording and the other for watching TV.
The answer is yes. In fact, for US units, it will support two analog and
one DTV/HDTV tuner card (for local channels via over-the-air signal).
Meaning if you had such a well equiped unit you could record three
different shows at the same time, or record two and watch one.
--
Tom Porterfield
MS-MVP Windows
http://support.telop.org

Please post all follow-ups to the newsgroup only.
 
Back
Top