winXP Pro vs. win XP Home

[Guest]

want to add a scanner station to a small business setup with 7 PC's on a
network - no server - peer to peer with an XP Pro machine as database server.
went to DELL for low cost PC special - DELL says must use XP PRO for scan
station because XP HOME cannot be in a netwrok with more than 5 machines. Is
this correct?

 

[Ken Blake, MVP]

want to add a scanner station to a small business setup with 7 PC's
on a network - no server - peer to peer with an XP Pro machine as
database server. went to DELL for low cost PC special - DELL says
must use XP PRO for scan station because XP HOME cannot be in a
netwrok with more than 5 machines. Is this correct?

No, not exactly. The limit is not on the number of computers in a network,
it's one number of simultaneous connections you have. Ten is the limit for
XP Professional and five for XP Home. Depending on how your netwrok is used,
it's possible that XP Home might work.

Perhaps more important, however, is another issue. Are you that aware that
most scanners have no network support at all? There are may be some very
high-priced scanners that have network support, but I don't know of any. In
general,. since you have to be at the scanner to insert documents into it, a
networked scanner isn't usually useful anyway.

 

[Guest]

No, not exactly. The limit is not on the number of computers in a network,
it's one number of simultaneous connections you have. Ten is the limit for
XP Professional and five for XP Home. Depending on how your netwrok is used,
it's possible that XP Home might work.

Perhaps more important, however, is another issue. Are you that aware that
most scanners have no network support at all? There are may be some very
high-priced scanners that have network support, but I don't know of any. In
general,. since you have to be at the scanner to insert documents into it, a
networked scanner isn't usually useful anyway.


--
Ken Blake - Microsoft MVP Windows: Shell/User
Please reply to the newsgroup


thank you - clarification: the scanner would USB connect to the new PC (XP PRO or HOME). the new PC and the other PCs already there would network connect to the main XP PRO PC running the database. based on that - can I use XP HOME in the new PC?

 

[Ken Blake, MVP]

thank you - clarification: the scanner would USB connect to the new
PC (XP PRO or HOME). the new PC and the other PCs already there
would network connect to the main XP PRO PC running the database.
based on that - can I use XP HOME in the new PC?

Yes. But you won't be able to have more than five simultaneous connections
to that XP Home PC.

And note my last point: regardless of how many connections you have to that
XP Home computer, you won't be able to access the scanner remotely at
all--only from the XP Home computer.

 

[Bruce Chambers]

want to add a scanner station to a small business setup with 7 PC's on a
network - no server - peer to peer with an XP Pro machine as database server.
went to DELL for low cost PC special - DELL says must use XP PRO for scan
station because XP HOME cannot be in a netwrok with more than 5 machines. Is
this correct?

Not entirely, but there are limitations. WinXP Home, by design, will
support only 5 simultaneous inbound network connections at any given
time. If not all of the other 7 computers will be connected to it at
one time, then WinXP Home will work. If all 7 PCs will need to be
connected simultaneously, you will need either WinXP Pro, or a server OS.

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 (a crucial
capability at most universities) 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

Another consideration:

Normally, input devices cannot be shared, at all, but this isn't
always true of all scanners. You'll be able to share the scanner only
if it's manufacturer provided specialized software for that purpose.

You have to use a network-capable scanner (which immediately
eliminates most, if not all, USB scanners) and specialized software
(that comes with the scanner) to do this. If you're talking about a
home consumer grade flatbed USB or parallel port scanner, you very
probably can't.

HP, Canon, Xerox, Océ, Kyocera Mita, and other companies
manufacture network capable scanners (They're actually multi-function
devices that also copy, print, and sometimes fax and email) and the
requisite specialized software. The cost of such devices usually
starts somewhere just below $5,000.00 USD.

The HP PrecisionScan Pro application, versions 2.03 and higher,
which normally comes with some of HP's low-end business scanners,
permits some of the scanning functions to be shared. Consult the
documentation that came with the scanner. (I know it works, if not
very well; I've set up HP ScanJet 6300C and 7490C devices to be
shared, using the supplied software.)


--

Bruce Chambers

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[Guest]

If using a program like VNC, remote desktop, etc., they could connect to that
XP machine and use the scanner. However, this would disrupt the person
currently using that computer, and they would still need go put something in
the scanner.