Speed or performance should not be the primary reason for choosing Pro vs. Home edition. The choice should really be dependent on whether or not you need the Pro features:
1. Remote Desktop, a feature found only in Windows XP Professional, lets you set up your computer for connection from any other Windows-based computer.
2. Windows XP Professional is best for people who connect to large networks, such as an office network, since it allows you to join and be managed by a Windows domain.
3. The Encrypting File System (EFS), found in Windows XP Professional but not Windows XP Home Edition, allows you to encrypt your files and folders for added security of sensitive data against theft or hackers. Restricted File Access, also found only in Professional, allows you to restrict access to selected files, applications, and other resources.
4. Windows XP Professional provides more robust options for backing up and restoring data than Home Edition.
5. Some additional features found only in Windows XP Professional are:
- Advanced networking for multiple PC environments
- Internet Information Services (IIS)
- Support for multiple-processor systems
- Support for multiple languages
If you need any of the features above, then the choice is simple: you need XP Pro. The biggest reason, of course, for XP Pro is that Pro is the only one that can be joined to a domain. But if not, then why have the overhead and the Home ed. would be the choice.
Cheers.
Last edited by obi1 at Sep 22 2002, 12:32 AM
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