Windows XP Pro vs Home

  • Thread starter Thread starter ras
  • Start date Start date
Sorry about the question; I assume you've answered it a dozen times already.
I did look in the Microsoft site and did a Google search on the groups, but
nothing. I'm getting a laptop and the one I have my eye on comes with Home;
for an extra $130 I can get the same one with Pro. This is too much, for an
OEM price difference of only $50. So...

Can they install Pro over Home at the store without losing all the extra
stuff on the hard drive?
Do I need Pro? The only highly technical thing I can think of that I would
want to do would be to access other computers through the telephone lines.

I currently have NT and very much prefer that over Windows 98.

Thanks,
Betty
 
Can they install Pro over Home at the store without losing all the extra
stuff on the hard drive?
Click to expand...

The short answer is yes ut only if they use retail version of XP Pro
Upgrade. OEM versions do not generally allow upgrades. People on this
newsgroups have claimed generic OEM versions are similar to retail
version but I have not tried them yet. Also, the store technician as to
know how to install upgrade over home edition without losing any other
drivers and/or pograms. You should perhaps ask them if they know what
REPAIR-INSTALL means to gauge their knowledge!

Do I need Pro? The only highly technical thing I can think of that I would
want to do would be to access other computers through the telephone lines.
Click to expand...

Do you mean to say that you want to dial up to your work place or
college to acees your private documents/emails? If so then Pro is the
operating system you need for sheer security and networking tools it
includes. If it only accessing Internet and accessing your emails then
home should be fine.
I currently have NT and very much prefer that over Windows 98.
Click to expand...

Windows XP professional is very much secure compared to NT4. You cannot
compare Win98 with NT (New Technology) because of completely different
foundations the two are based on.

http://www.microsoft.com/uk/windows/editions/default.mspx

hth
 
In
Betty said:
Sorry about the question; I assume you've answered it a dozen times
already. I did look in the Microsoft site and did a Google search on
the groups, but nothing. I'm getting a laptop and the one I have my
eye on comes with Home; for an extra $130 I can get the same one with
Pro. This is too much, for an OEM price difference of only $50. So...

Can they install Pro over Home at the store without losing all the
extra stuff on the hard drive?
Do I need Pro? The only highly technical thing I can think of that I
would want to do would be to access other computers through the
telephone lines.

I currently have NT and very much prefer that over Windows 98.

Thanks,
Betty
Click to expand...

I don't know what you are basing your prices on, but with the cheapest legit
XP pro upgrade prices around $189, the $130 price looks pretty good.
If you are comparing it to OEM, the restrictions on upgrading may or may not
affect you. If you want to retain any of the bundled software and possibly
the warranty, then OEM is not the answer. OEM XP versions will only do clean
installs and if transferred to another system it will be flagged on
activation.

If you need to use remote desktop or join a domain, then you will need Pro,
otherwise from your post it sounds like Home might be all you need. Both
Home and Pro are essentially the same performance wise.
Look at the link below and decide.
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/whichxp.asp
--
Michael Stevens MS-MVP XP
(e-mail address removed)
http://www.michaelstevenstech.com
For a better newsgroup experience. Setup a newsreader.
http://www.michaelstevenstech.com/outlookexpressnewreader.htm
 
In
ANONYMOUS said:
The short answer is yes ut only if they use retail version of XP Pro
Upgrade. OEM versions do not generally allow upgrades.
Click to expand...

XP OEM versions never allow upgrades.
People on
this newsgroups have claimed generic OEM versions are similar to
retail version but I have not tried them yet.
Click to expand...

They ARE the same in functionality and performance, the only difference
being restrictions on upgrading and transferring.
Also, the store
technician as to know how to install upgrade over home edition
without losing any other drivers and/or pograms. You should perhaps
ask them if they know what REPAIR-INSTALL means to gauge their
knowledge!
Click to expand...

The upgrade is no problem as long as the Pro upgrade is the same Service
Pack or higher.
Knowing about a repair install would be of little importance for judging a
technicians knowledge. <g>


http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/whichxp.asp
--
Michael Stevens MS-MVP XP
(e-mail address removed)
http://www.michaelstevenstech.com
For a better newsgroup experience. Setup a newsreader.
http://www.michaelstevenstech.com/outlookexpressnewreader.htm
 
Betty said:
Sorry about the question; I assume you've answered it a dozen times already.
I did look in the Microsoft site and did a Google search on the groups, but
nothing. I'm getting a laptop and the one I have my eye on comes with Home;
for an extra $130 I can get the same one with Pro. This is too much, for an
OEM price difference of only $50. So...

Can they install Pro over Home at the store without losing all the extra
stuff on the hard drive?
Do I need Pro? The only highly technical thing I can think of that I would
want to do would be to access other computers through the telephone lines.

I currently have NT and very much prefer that over Windows 98.

Thanks,
Betty
Click to expand...

You would only need XP Pro if you have an actual or anticipated future
need for one of the specific functions and features that are found in
XP Pro but which are not included with XP Home. Other than these
items the two versions are identical, and both are compiled from the
same source code base. In particular there is zero difference in
performance or stability between the two versions unless you are using
a PC with 2 separate CPU chips on the motherboard, as XP Home will
only use one of these and XP Pro will use both. However there are no
laptops available that have two actual CPUs installed.

The differences between the two versions are described on the
following web sites:
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/whichxp.asp
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/home/howtobuy/choosing2.asp
http://www.winsupersite.com/showcase/windowsxp_home_pro.asp
One additional difference, which is not specifically mentioned on the
above sites, is that in a peer-to-peer network configuration XP Home
only allows 5 concurrent logins to a shared network resource whereas
XP Pro allows 10.

Hope this explains the situation.

Good luck
Ron Martell Duncan B.C. Canada
 
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