XP Home or Pro ?

[Patosan]

I guess I'm asking if Pro 64bit is actually better for stability and possibily securuty than Home ?
To be honest I'm currently using ME so either is a huge improvement, though will a home user really get any benefit fro Pro ?

 

[Nodsu]

For home use, there are still some Pro features you may find useful:
Remote Desktop
Dual CPU support (that includes dual core)
File security and encryption

Whether to get the 64-bit or32-bit version of Pro is another matter. XP64 is lacking stability and driver support, so it may or may not work for you.

 

[Patosan]

Dual CPU support (that includes dual core)

I'll be running Core 2 Duo 6600 so how exactly does Pro support duals ?

So contrary to my inpression you say Pro is less stable than Home. If so I'll forget Pro, since I've had enough of instability with ME.

 

[tekNerd]

I am using Home and I hated, but this happens when it comes preinstalled.
If I were you I'll go with Pro. I don't think is a matter of stability since there are in fact the same OS, but I agree with Nodsu: you will miss some Pro futures in HE.
In the matter of 32 vs. 64 bit although I agree with Nodsu, you should do some reading before you decide, put everything in a balance.

 

[Mictlantecuhtli]

XP64 is lacking stability

Is this your own opinion?

 

[Nodsu]

I'll be running Core 2 Duo 6600 so how exactly does Pro support duals ?

So contrary to my inpression you say Pro is less stable than Home. If so I'll forget Pro, since I've had enough of instability with ME.

XP Pro supports dual core in the sense that you can actually use both cores. XP Home will use only one of the cores so half of your CPU will just sit there doing nothing.

Pro is no less stable than Home. 64-bit Windows XP has driver issues and may therefore be less stable than 32-bit WIndows XP.

 

[smore9648]

I have both OSs and I prefer the pro version due to encryption and remote desktop

 

[StormyNight]

When it comes to Pro vs. Home; It really boils down to personal preference. They stripped features for the home user which is how they came out with the home version. They didn't build it first then build pro. The features that you start to loose involve networking and administration. If these don't bother you then perhaps home is the better choice for you. Not only is it a factor for cost it is a factor of the tools that they provide you with. Here is a little light reading of comparisons for you. Hope this helps you in your decisions.

Now with 32-bit vs 64-bit. 64-bit definately has it's advantages (speed). However as indicated there has been some conflicts as far as the drivers on certain devices. Some applications may not work properly as they don't have a 64-bit version.

The best thing to do if your motherboard supports 64-bit, check your devices for driver compatibility, the applications that you will want to use, weigh the pros and cons and decide accordingly as to which is the better combination for you. It all boils down to personal preference.

 

[Mictlantecuhtli]

XP Home will use only one of the cores so half of your CPU will just sit there doing nothing.

As far as I know, XP Home supports one physical CPU, but that CPU can have more than one core.

 

[Nodsu]

Mm.. Took some time to find some definite information, but yes, apparently XP Home can live with a dual-core CPU.

 

[YosefM]

Remote desktop & administration is available with XP Home, you just have to cheat. DL & install the TSMMC, and Admin tools pak - it works. I dont find myself missing the file security & encryption features - I might if I was using a laptop or not behind a HW firewall. The only feature I remotely miss is cannot join domain, but we dont run a windows domain anymore. XP 64-bit edition was an experiment at best. Many vendors aren't bothering with driver support for it, preferring to focus limited resources on Vista drivers. If you dont find all your required HW on the HCL, I'd wait and use 32-bit windows instead.

 

[AMDIsTheBest010]

yea i have a Pentium D with WinXP Home Edition, and it shows 2CPUs in the task manager, and it effectively balances power between the two.

...AMD