What Is the Difference Between Home Edition & Windows XP Pro?

XP Professional includes more server options than XP Home.

Windows XP comes in two basic editions: XP Home and XP Professional. Microsoft recommends the Home edition for users wanting a personal computer for school, home or other casual use, and the Professional edition for business use, but studying the differences between the two versions lets users make their own decisions based on what they need. XP Professional includes all the features of XP Home edition, and each of the differences are additions for XP Professional.

Price

Perhaps the most important difference between editions is cost. Though the price of both operating systems decreased throughout their life cycles, XP Professional costs considerably more than XP Home. Since the release of subsequent versions of Windows, neither version of XP is available directly from Microsoft, so cost varies depending on retailer.

Offline Storage

XP Professional includes an automatic storage system for networked computers. Users can set the system to save files from a network for use when disconnected, allowing users with a laptop or portable computer to access network files from different locations.

Encryption

XP Professional allows users to work behind an additional layer of security with automatic encryption options. Other users, even users with direct access to the hard drive of an XP Professional computer, cannot access encrypted files without permission. This option allows users to safely store sensitive business or financial information without risking its safety.

Windows Server Access

Computers with XP Home installed cannot connect to other computers within a Windows Server domain; only XP Professional includes this option. With more options than other local networks, a Windows Server domain gives users additional file sharing and access options.

Access Control

While Windows XP Home allows some customizing under different user profiles, XP Professional includes a much more sophisticated access control system, giving administrators of networks and computers more specific control over the activities of different users. Different controls allow various users permission to read, modify, delete or create specific files in any possible combination with specific settings for each.

Other Differences

Other features included in XP Professional but missing in XP Home include a more advanced remote desktop program, support for multi-CPU machines (dual-core machines work with both editions), and consolidated administration options.

References

• Windows XP: Use offline files when you're off the network
• Windows XP: Help keep your data safe - Encrypt your data with Windows XP Professional
• Windows XP: Use access control to restrict who can use your files
• Windows XP: The facts about the future
• Windows XP: Get started using Remote Desktop with Windows XP Professional