Windows XP is currently the OS of choice among most PC users. Most new PCs come with XP Home, but some don’t know the difference between Home and the Pro version. Basically, the two operating systems are essentially the same thing. Both have the same applications and multimedia features. The difference is that the Pro version has more built-in capability when it comes to networking and server functionality. These functions might be useful in a corporate environment, but most users would have no use for the extra features of the Pro version. XP Pro is geared toward business and “advanced” networking (you can create a network with XP Home, but you don’t have as much control as Pro).

Remote Desktop is a neat feature that functions differently between the two types. It allows an XP Home Computer to control an XP Pro computer from another location allowing you to work away from the office. The Home computer can only act as the controlling computer and the Pro system can only act as the “controlee”. A cool feature of Pro is the Roaming User Profile. On a network this lets you access all your documents and settings from any computer no matter where you log on at.

Something to consider if upgrading: Both Pro and Home can upgrade from Win 98/ME but only Pro can upgrade from Win NT/2000.