Win XP Home vs. Pro

[bcoupland]

Normally, I would just buy XP Home, but if I am going to a Lan party or just on a network with more than 2 computers, do I need pro? I dont care about the remote access or "enhanced" security. Thanks.

 

[Bozo Galora]

wrong forum and yes

 

[TSDible]

Originally posted by: Bozo Galora
wrong forum and yes

I've never been to a LAN party that required pro.

I don't know what the limit is (or if there is one) for a simple workgroup network and XP home. You just can't log on to a domain with XP home.

 

[ribbon13]

Home is weak.

 

[Dennis Travis]

4 Network Shares. If you are just doing a Lan game I don't think it will matter but I could be wrong. But if you are actually trying to get more than 4 shares in Workgroup to browse, Home will not do it. I have 7-16 systems on my network depending on what is in use and my P4 that came with home will only display 4 in the network browser. My Mac with OSX displays every system that is on the network. Pro someone said is 10 shares. For Lan games it should be OK but Pro is better in many other ways. Home comes default with no Administrator Password. Wide open and it never asks you for one. That is VERY WEAK! There is a way around it but still.....

 

[TSDible]

Originally posted by: Dennis Travis
4 Network Shares. If you are just doing a Lan game I don't think it will matter but I could be wrong. But if you are actually trying to get more than 4 shares in Workgroup to browse, Home will not do it. I have 7-16 systems on my network depending on what is in use and my P4 that came with home will only display 4 in the network browser. My Mac with OSX displays every system that is on the network. Pro someone said is 10 shares. For Lan games it should be OK but Pro is better in many other ways. Home comes default with no Administrator Password. Wide open and it never asks you for one. That is VERY WEAK! There is a way around it but still.....

My laptop (winxp home) connects to 6 mapped shares and displays and can browse all of them. I have about a dozen or so shares in all.

[edit]
Maybe you can only "create" 4 shares on XP home?
[/edit]

 

[Dennis Travis]

They say 4 right on Microsoft. I have never gotten more than 4 to browse. Pro is offically 10.

 

[TSDible]

Originally posted by: Dennis Travis
They say 4 right on Microsoft. I have never gotten more than 4 to browse. Pro is offically 10.

Interesting. I did not know this.

I will go home tonight and check out my laptop again.

 

[Dennis Travis]

Let me know what you find out. A while back when I got this P4 that came with Home I did some checking to see what the difference was and that was what I found somewhere on Microsoft. So far with Pro and Home here they seem to be correct.

Since the OP is going to a Lan Party there should not be any problem as the games should all network ok. At least I would think so!

 

[TSDible]

Originally posted by: Dennis Travis
Let me know what you find out. A while back when I got this P4 that came with Home I did some checking to see what the difference was and that was what I found somewhere on Microsoft. So far with Pro and Home here they seem to be correct.

Since the OP is going to a Lan Party there should not be any problem as the games should all network ok. At least I would think so!

Ok... I'm sitting at home now on my laptop. I have 6 mapped drives to network shares. I also have 10 shares on the network. I actively have all of them open currently and I'm able to browse all files.

 

[ohnnyj]

If you have not yet purchased it and it is not installed why not just get an OEM copy of Pro, it is only a little more than Home. I have seen it on the egg in the $135-$140 range. Plus I have seen some people have issues with Home.