Man of Honour
Revision 1.6.5
What are the differences between XP home and XP Professional?
Windows XP Professional is geared to a business environment whilst Home is as you’d imagine, built for the standard home user. Professional edition can do everything that home can do and more. Its main advantage is its ability to integrate into a Windows domain, allowing the computer to get group policies from the domain as well as remote software deployment and roaming profiles. Professional can also use offline file access and remote desktop. Apart from the networking accessibility, Professional also supports up to two physical processors, where as Home only supports uni-processor systems. Professional Edition also supports NTFS encryption which may be needed for people who keep confidential files on their computer.
In most situations Home Edition is sufficient for most applications in the home and small office and is cheaper then Professional Edition.
I have an original disc, so I have a legal version of the software, right?
Wrong. When purchasing software there is a key concept to understand: you are purchasing the right to use the software under the terms of the End User Licence Agreement (EULA). Even though you may be able to install a product and activate it, it still may be unlicensed. Also, if you break the terms of the EULA, your license is usually revoked. Also, some software EULAs may allow you to use a backup copy of the software from somebody else as long as you are properly licensed; just because you have a copied disc doesn’t necessarily mean that you are using illegal software.
I can activate Windows; therefore I have a legal Windows installation, right?
No. Windows Product Activation is purely a technological means to prevent unlicensed software. It is possible for Microsoft to allow you to activate even though you are not licensed. For example you have changed a motherboard for performance upgrades rather then under a warranty claim.
What is Windows XP x64? Should I install the 32-bit or 64-bit version of Windows?
There is a full FAQ written by Otacon on this subject. Please look at this:
http://forums.overclockers.co.uk/showpost.php?p=6369301&postcount=36
What are the differences between Windows XP and Windows Media Center Edition 2005?
Designed to become the central digital media hub in any entrainment system, Windows Media Center 2005 brings new features to the operating system such as: HD TV Tuner Support, Dual TV Tuner Support, Enhanced DVD-Burner / DVD Writer Support including Direct to DVD Recording, Caller ID (Screen Pop) support which aren’t included in XP as standard. Another key feature is remote control support, so that you can have a customisable remote interface.
Windows MCE is a superset of XP with only one exception. As with Windows Home Edition, a MCE system cannot be a member of a Windows Domain and therefore isn’t usually suitable for an office environment.
Windows MCE is only available as an OEM edition, which means you do not get the flexibility of a retail license. It also means that as you are technically a System Builder and must adhere to the OEM System Builder License as well as the MCE EULA (if it’s your system). It also means there is no upgrade variety of MCE.
With the fact that if you purchase MCE with the intention to install it on your machine and therefore a ‘System Builder’ kept in mind; you need to realise a key drawback: there is no end user support from either the reseller or Microsoft, other than what they have on their website.
What are the differences between XP home and XP Professional?
Windows XP Professional is geared to a business environment whilst Home is as you’d imagine, built for the standard home user. Professional edition can do everything that home can do and more. Its main advantage is its ability to integrate into a Windows domain, allowing the computer to get group policies from the domain as well as remote software deployment and roaming profiles. Professional can also use offline file access and remote desktop. Apart from the networking accessibility, Professional also supports up to two physical processors, where as Home only supports uni-processor systems. Professional Edition also supports NTFS encryption which may be needed for people who keep confidential files on their computer.
In most situations Home Edition is sufficient for most applications in the home and small office and is cheaper then Professional Edition.
I have an original disc, so I have a legal version of the software, right?
Wrong. When purchasing software there is a key concept to understand: you are purchasing the right to use the software under the terms of the End User Licence Agreement (EULA). Even though you may be able to install a product and activate it, it still may be unlicensed. Also, if you break the terms of the EULA, your license is usually revoked. Also, some software EULAs may allow you to use a backup copy of the software from somebody else as long as you are properly licensed; just because you have a copied disc doesn’t necessarily mean that you are using illegal software.
I can activate Windows; therefore I have a legal Windows installation, right?
No. Windows Product Activation is purely a technological means to prevent unlicensed software. It is possible for Microsoft to allow you to activate even though you are not licensed. For example you have changed a motherboard for performance upgrades rather then under a warranty claim.
What is Windows XP x64? Should I install the 32-bit or 64-bit version of Windows?
There is a full FAQ written by Otacon on this subject. Please look at this:
http://forums.overclockers.co.uk/showpost.php?p=6369301&postcount=36
What are the differences between Windows XP and Windows Media Center Edition 2005?
Designed to become the central digital media hub in any entrainment system, Windows Media Center 2005 brings new features to the operating system such as: HD TV Tuner Support, Dual TV Tuner Support, Enhanced DVD-Burner / DVD Writer Support including Direct to DVD Recording, Caller ID (Screen Pop) support which aren’t included in XP as standard. Another key feature is remote control support, so that you can have a customisable remote interface.
Windows MCE is a superset of XP with only one exception. As with Windows Home Edition, a MCE system cannot be a member of a Windows Domain and therefore isn’t usually suitable for an office environment.
Windows MCE is only available as an OEM edition, which means you do not get the flexibility of a retail license. It also means that as you are technically a System Builder and must adhere to the OEM System Builder License as well as the MCE EULA (if it’s your system). It also means there is no upgrade variety of MCE.
With the fact that if you purchase MCE with the intention to install it on your machine and therefore a ‘System Builder’ kept in mind; you need to realise a key drawback: there is no end user support from either the reseller or Microsoft, other than what they have on their website.
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