XP Pro vs. Home?

  • Thread starter Thread starter M. Saddy
  • Start date Start date
M

M. Saddy

Hi,

I've been using XP pro for a long time on my home PC. Right now I am
shopping for a new notebook PC and the best deal I found was on a Toshiba.
The only thing with it is that it comes with XP home preinstalled. Am I
going to notice big changes if I purchase this PC? Should I look for
something else with XP Pro? Please let me know what you think! Thank you
very much.
 
Hello,

The only thing that you might notice between the two is that you can not
remote desktop into a xp home computer. Also you can not set it up to be a
server of any type (pop3 http ftp ect) Other then there I dont think there
is a big difference.
 
I do not consider Home suitable for a laptop. Home does not support
encryption and since most laptops link to a web or net by wireless, this is
not very good. Ask the vendor to give you a price on an upgrade to Pro.
Pro also has better power management tools for laptops.
 
-----Original Message-----
Hi,

I've been using XP pro for a long time on my home PC. Right now I am
shopping for a new notebook PC and the best deal I found was on a Toshiba.
The only thing with it is that it comes with XP home preinstalled. Am I
going to notice big changes if I purchase this PC? Should I look for
something else with XP Pro? Please let me know what you think! Thank you
very much.
Click to expand...
Windows XP Home edition is not suitable for a laptop.
Windows XP Home edition does not support encryption and
since most laptops link to a web or net by wireless, this
is not very good.
Ask the vendor to give you a price on an upgrade to
Windows XP Pro edition.
Windows XP Pro edition also has better power management
tools for laptops.
Windows XP Pro edition but nowadays go too many virus.
 
-----Original Message-----
found
was on a Toshiba.
Windows XP Home edition is not suitable for a laptop.
Windows XP Home edition does not support encryption and
since most laptops link to a web or net by wireless, this
is not very good.
Ask the vendor to give you a price on an upgrade to
Windows XP Pro edition.
Windows XP Pro edition also has better power management
tools for laptops.
Windows XP Pro edition but nowadays go too many virus.


.
Click to expand...
 
In addition to what else has been posted, if you have the need to log on to
a domain, you cannot do that with XP Home Edition. You can only do that
with XP Pro. I make this point because laptops are generally used for
mobility and such mobile users often have to log on to other networks. If
the network is a Domain, you won't be able to log on.

NOTE: most home networks are generally workgroups and they don't have this
issue but public networks such as in schools or colleges are generally
domains and would require XP Pro in order to log on.
 
Thanks to all!

This laptop is retail and they don't offer upgrades on XP. Do you think it
is a good idea to do a PRO upgrade when I get the laptop? would it effect
the laptop at all and is it worth the money? Thanks again.
 
Is it worth the money? Only you can decide based on what you know you want
to do or might need to do.
 
Is there anything in XP Pro that you think you'll need? If not then don't
bother upgrading. Otherwise it's worth the upgrade.

Joe
 
M. Saddy said:
Hi,

I've been using XP pro for a long time on my home PC. Right now I am
shopping for a new notebook PC and the best deal I found was on a
Toshiba. The only thing with it is that it comes with XP home
preinstalled. Am I going to notice big changes if I purchase this
PC?
Should I look for something else with XP Pro? Please let me know
what
you think! Thank you very much.
Click to expand...


It really depends upon how _you_ will be using the laptop, and
exactly how granularly you like to control file security settings.
When I switched from Win2K to WinXP Home, I often became frustrated at
not having the level of control to which I was accustomed. I also
found the "dumbing-down" of WinXP Home (compared to Win2K and WinXP
Pro) very annoying. So I switched to WinXP Pro for my primary PC.

The WinXP Home and WinXP Pro versions 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

--

Bruce Chambers

Help us help you:



You can have peace. Or you can have freedom. Don't ever count on
having
both at once. - RAH
 
Quite apart from 'features', Home does not permit encryption and this
renders a laptop using a wireless connection less attractive.
 
You need to ask the manufacturer what the status of support and warranty
(two different things) will be if you upgrade to Pro after buying the system
with Home. With a laptop, you have the issue of laptop utilities that does
not occur with most desktops. You need to see if the manufacturer has any
utilities that do not work with Pro (unlikely). If you do move to Pro (I
encourage to), do an upgrade and not a clean install, since the clean
install will wipe out the laptop utilities unnecessarily.
 
Colin said:
I do not consider Home suitable for a laptop. Home does not support
encryption and since most laptops link to a web or net by wireless,
this is not very good. Ask the vendor to give you a price on an
upgrade to Pro. Pro also has better power management tools for
laptops.
Click to expand...

Are you, by any chance, confusing wireless network communications
encryption, which WinXP Home does support, with NTFS file encryption,
which is available only in WinXP Pro? I ask this because you
specifically mention wireless networking, but not the dangers of
irretrievable data loss inherent in a poorly implemented file
encryption habit.

For most businesses, and many other travelers, file encryption is
a wise precaution, provided it's properly and safely implemented.
However, we see posts in these newsgroups each and every day from
experienced users - not to mention the average users - who have
permanently lost access to their encrypted data simply because they
neglected the elemental precaution of backing up their encryption
keys. Personally, I'd really hesitate to recommend the use of EFS to
any but the most experienced, knowledgeable, and conscientious of
computer users.



--

Bruce Chambers

Help us help you:



You can have peace. Or you can have freedom. Don't ever count on
having
both at once. - RAH
 
M. Saddy said:
Thanks to all!

This laptop is retail and they don't offer upgrades on XP. Do you
think it is a good idea to do a PRO upgrade when I get the laptop?
would it effect the laptop at all and is it worth the money? Thanks
again.
Click to expand...


Frankly, if a vendor won't or can't provide the product I want, I
take my business elsewhere. Only you can decide if buying the laptop
with WinXP Home, buying the WinXP Pro Upgrade for an additional
$200.00, and then subsequently voiding the laptop's warranty by
changing the OS is worth the extra cost. It'd be a lot better, in the
long run, for you to order the laptop the way _you_ want it.

--

Bruce Chambers

Help us help you:



You can have peace. Or you can have freedom. Don't ever count on
having
both at once. - RAH
 
ntfs

Bruce Chambers said:
Are you, by any chance, confusing wireless network communications
encryption, which WinXP Home does support, with NTFS file encryption,
which is available only in WinXP Pro? I ask this because you specifically
mention wireless networking, but not the dangers of irretrievable data
loss inherent in a poorly implemented file encryption habit.

For most businesses, and many other travelers, file encryption is a
wise precaution, provided it's properly and safely implemented. However,
we see posts in these newsgroups each and every day from experienced
users - not to mention the average users - who have permanently lost
access to their encrypted data simply because they neglected the elemental
precaution of backing up their encryption keys. Personally, I'd really
hesitate to recommend the use of EFS to any but the most experienced,
knowledgeable, and conscientious of computer users.



--

Bruce Chambers

Help us help you:



You can have peace. Or you can have freedom. Don't ever count on having
both at once. - RAH
Click to expand...
 
I agree. I would continue shopping if the laptop does not fully meet your
specifications.
 
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