xp home vs pro

[meangene714]

Getting ready for my first build, ordered all components from newegg, except for the os. This build will be used mainly for school work, and net surfing.

Newegg sells the oem version of xp home for $90. My campus bookstore sells xp pro, also for $90. I think it's also the oem version.

I guess my question is, since the price is the same, should I go for xp pro, or is there any disadvantages to pro?

[bailey]

for the same price, I would get the pro.
the only advantage of pro is that it will allow you to log on to a domain, and if the ntfs is used, it has a few more security features, other than that, they are the same.

[viking9]

best buy is offering the xp home upgrade for 49.00 and circuit city will beat any price by 10% of the difference in thier price .. that means circuit city will sale it for 44.00 .. unless you are a expert you will never use the extra pro functions..

[EzyStvy]

This pic will show you the differences in all three versions of Windows.

[flanzig1]

If you will be using the computer at college, be best to go with XP Pro so you can connect to the campus network.

[viking9]

xp home and pro will both connect to any network, home or college.. i still recommend xp home upgrade for 45 at circuit city.. if you realy want to know the dif between the two go microsofts web site and read it for yourself, there is no sub for getting the information straight from microsoft.. i have multiple comps and i have yet to use the features on my xp pro version...

[glc]

xp home and pro will both connect to any network, home or college.

No. If you have to log into a WinNT/2K/2K3 domain, you must have Pro.

[viking9]

can you find some more info on the fact that xp home will not connect to the network that xp pro does, they both use ntsf file system, pro does allow remote assistance but that is not needed for a college network.. and i am sure that not all students are running pro and yet are still connecting to the college net..


I did find a comparison on microsoft but it does not say that you cannot connect it just points out the the admin will not be able to maintain your computer, ie. install software and take advantage of powerful management and security tools.

The student wanting access to the college should find the requirement list..

All of the college websites i went to recommend pro for file sharing security but at the same time they say xp home will work, you should just disable file sharing and printer sharing..

[glc]

Originally Posted by glc If you have to log into a WinNT/2K/2K3 domain, you must have Pro.

That is my only claim, and it's fact. If you do not have to log into a domain, you can use Home. Pro also offers the ability to turn off simple file sharing to use traditional NT user-based file sharing, Home is either simple file sharing or no file sharing.

[doctorgonzo]

Originally Posted by viking9 can you find some more info on the fact that xp home will not connect to the network that xp pro does, they both use ntsf file system, pro does allow remote assistance but that is not needed for a college network.. and i am sure that not all students are running pro and yet are still connecting to the college net..

GLC is right; you need Pro to log on to a domain. If by "connect to a college network" you mean simply plugging in an Ethernet cord into the port in your dorm room to surf the web and do your e-mail, then Home or Pro work equally well. If, however, "connecting to a college network" means logging onto Active Directory to access network printers, shared network drives, and so forth, then you need Pro.

It's best to contact the college itself if you have any questions. Some colleges require AD logins, some don't. Some may not use AD at all, instead using Novell eDirectory, since Novell offers pretty substantial discounts to educational institutions (much like Apple).

[glc]

Correct - and you can install the Novell Client32 on XP Home.