Other than SMP and Dual monitors what are the differences between Win XP Personal and Win XP Pro?

[Noriaki]

I know that WinXP personal will not have SMP support or Dual Monitor support. Well I'm not a Dual monitor person, and I don't care about SMP. Edit #n: Oh yeah I also know Personal can't join Domains either...don't really care though.

Are there any other major differences that are worth noting?


Thanks for the link Budman, and this thread is no longer Win2k vs WinXP...just WinXP personal vs WinXP professional.

<Pretty much the whole thing is an edit>

 

[Noriaki]

up!

 

[jacobnero6918]

XP personal won't have dual cpu support and a few other features. XP Pro would be the way to accept it has the mandatory activation within 30 days or it won't work. Possible annual fees for the subsciption. It may also have copy protection for MP3's and WMA!


Bottom Line get Windows 2000, XP is the Gay windows 2000!

 

[Noriaki]

Ugh...XP is going to have that stupid subscription thing?????

I thought that was in the next windows....

I'm leaning the Win2k way already...I don't like System Restore, or that new UI or even the new Windows Media Player....

I don't think there is really any difference under the hood.

DirectX9 should work on 2k just as well as XP right? And all new games will run on the NT5 core so either I guess...

I think I'll just get Win2k...every time I examine XP something stupid comes up that I don't want...

 

[Nitsuj]

IF XP has subscription it will you will still be able to buy a NON subscription BOX version, but i don't belive MS would move to Subscription any time soon.

You can turn off system restore
You can turn off the new ui
There is no copy protection for MP3s, but WMP will only encode MP3s at 56kps, speaking of I hate WMP. Install WinAMP.

 

[Noriaki]

I'd never use Windows Media Player for MP3s. What a joke that is. But I do use it for other media types...and I don't like WMP7...oh well I can live with that.

Provided I can turn of SysRestore and the new GUI which I'm pretty sure I can I'd go WinXP just because it's so close and there doesn't seem anything negative over Win2k I can't turn off expect WMP...but I can live with that.

But the key point is this:
Does WinXP Pro have that stupid thing where you have to register with MS if you change your hard drive or re-install or something? Or can I get it in a retail box with a product key that is good forver just like Win2k Pro? (What about Pesonal as well?)

Also do you know of any major differences between Personal and Pro besides SMP support and Dual monitor support?

 

[Noriaki]

bump

 

[Budman]

Here's your link to a review of the latest build.

 

[Noriaki]

Thanks for the link budman...

why is it that every new release looks more and more horrifying....

 

[Budman]

I kinda like the new look.

 

[Noriaki]

Hehehehe I don't actually mind the new UI...what I meant by looking horrifying is all the extra stuff they seem to be jamming in I don't want.

WMP8...built in CDRW software...stuff like that...

How can I complain about the new UI? Lol A) It's totally customizable and B) you can turn it off right?


But I'm thinking that I'm going to wait out XP...

I don't have to use the built CDRW software if I don't want to, I use Winamp for MP3s, and I'm sure I can deal with WMP8 for the few videos I watch (I have a hollywood plus and it can play most video formats anyways, complete with TV-out...)

Plus hey RAM is cheap now....I'll just grab another 256MB for under $200 canadian and run with that

512MB should be enough to use their UI...I'm sure I can find a skin I like

Edit: As long as it's not subscription based, or you have to contact MS every time you want to use it or whatever...if I can just have a CD key and install the same as Win2000 Pro then I think I'm going to go Win XP.

 

[SaturnX]

Well, XP isn't going to have your old fashioned cdkey as planned now, MS want's to have &quot;casual&quot; copying of their OSes to stop, the same goes for the next release of Office, Office 10. Oh, and if you don't like how Windows looks, pick up Litestep. It replaces explorer and uses even less resources, and looks MUCH better, and you can quickly change skins easily, and painlessly.

LiteStep

--Mark

 

[Nitsuj]

I just Replaced (Upgraded) the hard drive on my laptop, reinstalled my copy of WinXP using the same CD Key and I wasn't asked to activate like I was the first time I installed, so I guess MS recognized my machine and since only the hard drive changed no re-activation.

Personal doesn't have major differences other than what you stated, they both require activation. Oh there is one little thing with domains, but I don't know If I can mention it.

Note: Personal will probably be cheaper

 

[Noriaki]

Personal can't join domains, I already new that.

I don't really care, I'm talking for my home PC and I don't have a domain in my home. I'm not sure what I have even qualifies as a LAN...more like a BAN (Basement Area Network )

Or what there something else?

Edit: wow I'm a bad speller this morning, time to get some more coffee.