This is topic Question about Windows XP vs 2000 Pro in forum Film-Yak at Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE.


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Posted by Sam Hunter (Member # 1119) on 05-09-2004, 05:28 PM:
 
I have XP Home and was wondering if I would benefit from installing 2000 Pro and if so how would I go about it?

When I tried to load 2K Pro it said that I was trying to install a older version of windows and would not let me install 2000.
 

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Posted by Jason Burroughs (Member # 68) on 05-09-2004, 06:44 PM:
 
The reason you could not install 2000 Pro over XP Home, is because it would essentially be a "downgrade"
If you break it down to version numbers
Windows 2000 Pro = Windows NT 5.0
Windows XP (Pro AND Home)= Windows NT 5.1
 

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Posted by Ron Lacheur (Member # 1126) on 05-09-2004, 08:50 PM:
 
XP Home is garbage.

I'd stick with 2000 Pro over XP Home.
 

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Posted by Sam Hunter (Member # 1119) on 05-09-2004, 09:13 PM:
 
I was thinking that W2K was newer than Xp but I just wasn't sure. I think for the trouble involved I will leave well enough alone.
Thanks for jogging my memory.
 

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Posted by Ron Lacheur (Member # 1126) on 05-09-2004, 09:46 PM:
 
If 2k is working fine for you, you'd be better off just leaving it on.

If you have the urge to upgrade to XP, get the Pro version.
 

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Posted by Bobby Henderson (Member # 840) on 05-10-2004, 01:19 AM:
 
Why does Microsoft even sell a "Home" version of Win XP? Really. What is the purpose of it? What exactly does "XP Home" do that XP Pro does not? How exactly is the "Home" version more user friendly than the "Pro" version? Both versions look pretty much the same. Is XP Home able to run old DOS style games or games that didn't work on WinNT (like the first version of "Quake")?

I've looked at both versions very closely, and the only differences I can see is XP Home is really great if you want an operating system that is total crap when it comes to networking to other machines, especially those running older versions of Windows. Now, this is a situation more likely to exist in a Home rather than an office. Work environments get their computers updated more often. Many houseolds feature hand-me-down old PCs sitting in a kid's room with the newer PC being in Daddy's study, etc. If anything, XP Pro is far better to stick on a home PC because it will have an easier time seeing that antique Win95 or Win98 machine.

IMHO, Microsoft should just simplify things and only sell XP Pro in personal computers and laptops. The Home version has no justification to exist.
 

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Posted by Ron Lacheur (Member # 1126) on 05-10-2004, 01:30 AM:
 
Bobby,

XP Pro supports Dual CPU's while the Home edition doesn't.
 

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Posted by Leo Enticknap (Member # 534) on 05-10-2004, 02:25 AM:
 
There are also one or two other bells and whistles which are exclusive to XP Pro, e.g. more sophisticated file sharing options and an encryption facility.

The main difference I noticed between 2K and XP Pro was that the latter used a lot less RAM and slightly less hard disc space. Simply put, when comparing the two operating systems running on the exact same hardware, XP Pro seems to run faster and multitasks more efficiently.

I've never used XP Home, though (except briefly and on other people's machines), so I couldn't say whether you'd be getting these advantages when installing it over W2K.

On the subject of computers, I've just finished a major upgrade of mine and have hit two strange problems on reinstalling Windows (XP Pro). The first is that it will only create and install my system volume as drive H:. It won't let me change it to C: in Computer Management later, as you can't change the drive letter of the system volume. I guess the reason for this is that both my hard drives in the new machine are on a Serial ATA RAID controller. There are no hard discs connected to either IDE rail, so I can only guess that Windows reserves C: for an IDE drive. I'm not even sure that this is a problem at all - presumably the OS and all application software should work happily with the system volume as H:. If it won't, is there any way of changing it to C:?

Secondly, neither the BIOS nor Windows recognises the CPU correctly as being an AMD XP+3200/400FSB. On bootup, the BIOS simply says 'AMD Athlon', while Windows thinks that the CPU is an XP+1900. Things I've tried: (i) updating the BIOS with the latest version (the motherboard is a Gigabyte GA-7N400 Pro 2 rev. 2.0), (ii) double checking the motherboard jumper settings and BIOS settings to auto-detect everything and (iii) downloading all the recommended Windows updates, using Autopatcher first and then Windows update to put in everything which was released since. Still no joy, and I'm wondering if this is simply a display glitch or if the processor is not running as fast as it should be.
 

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Posted by Joe Redifer (Member # 3) on 05-10-2004, 07:44 PM:
 

quote: Ron said:

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XP Pro supports Dual CPU's while the Home edition doesn't.

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Ummmm... why would they disable this for the home version? Mac OS X does not have a crappy "no frills" version. Teh ghey.[av=d]
 

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Posted by Scott Norwood (Member # 30) on 05-10-2004, 08:04 PM:
 
Joe--you, of all people, should know this: they want to charge more money for the non-crippled version.

Even more annoying is the distinction that they make between "server" and "workstation" versions (M$ has no concept of a "workstation" machine with more than two processors, for example).

I recommend installing Linux or NetBSD or, better yet, throwing the PC away and getting a real computer.
 

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Posted by Mark J. Marshall (Member # 1409) on 05-10-2004, 08:12 PM:
 
XP Home is also not supposed to be able to connect to a server. But I think Micros~1 meant that it won't connect to a WINDOWS based server because if you install the Novell client, it connects to a Novell server just fine. At least ours does.

For what it's worth, I read an article a while back that said that Win 2K pro & server were exactly identical save for a few registry keys instructing the OS to boot one way or the other. Apparently a university group did a binary compare on all the files, and they were exactly the same. They even managed to install Pro, and hack the registry to fool it into booting up as server. Complete with the Server splash screen and all. I can't find that article at the moment tho. This was a few years ago.
 

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Posted by Gordon McLeod (Member # 33) on 05-10-2004, 10:04 PM:
 
Get a reel operating system like OS2
 

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Posted by Phil Hill (Member # 371) on 05-10-2004, 10:16 PM:
 
McGord:

>>> Phil
 

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Posted by Darryl Spicer (Member # 711) on 05-10-2004, 11:39 PM:
 
one might want to read into one important thing. Home/Professional. A professional will not use the home edition and the average Joe, not our Joe here, who doesn't give a crap will use the Home edition. That being the same guy that buys one of those Emachines.
 

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Posted by Ron Lacheur (Member # 1126) on 05-11-2004, 03:39 AM:
 

quote: Scott

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Even more annoying is the distinction that they make between "server" and "workstation" versions (M$ has no concept of a "workstation" machine with more than two processors, for example). I recommend installing Linux or NetBSD

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Well if you know of some good video/audio editing software for linux, I'd be more than happy to make the switch.

The Xeons' will appriciate it for sure!
 

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Posted by Dominic Espinosa (Member # 2122) on 05-11-2004, 03:59 AM:
 
There's a lot of open source solutions to many of your daily computing tasks. I run Linux on my 3 current systems. The only box in the house running windows is a win9x box I have sitting asside for guest use.
Personally I hate Windows. It's crippled, slow, and ugly.

As for the pro vs. 2k update...

XP Home also does not support hyper threading (which is funny because they push boxes with ht on it and home edition!) by default.
XP Home is also not quite as strong a network o/s like pro is.

2000 however is basically everything xp is built on, just without all the bullshit. Loading 2000 fresh and loading up all the service packs ensures the best windows install around...Of course you're still vulnerable to all the latest bugs in Internet Explorer and such

I havn't had ANY of the pop-ups and spyware issues that my Windows counterpats have had recently...Linus Torvalds is a genius...Brad is too, but in a very different way...
 

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Posted by Nick Engstrom (Member # 2100) on 05-11-2004, 10:26 AM:
 
Pro features that aren't in Home Edition---
The following features are not present in Windows XP Home Edition.

Power user
Remote Desktop - All versions of Windows XP--including Home Edition--support Remote Assistance, which is an assisted support technology that allows a help desk or system administrator to remotely connect to a client desktop for troubleshooting purposes. But Only Pro supports the new Remote Desktop feature, which is a single-session version of Terminal Services with two obvious uses: Mobile professionals who need to remotely access their corporate desktop, and remote administration of clients on a network. You can access a Windows XP Remote Desktop from any OS that supports a Terminal Services client (such as Windows 98 and, interestingly XP Home). XP Home can act as the client in a Remote Desktop session; only Pro can be the server.
Multi-processor support - Windows XP Pro supports up to two microprocessors, while Home Edition supports only one.
Automated System Recovery (ASR) - In a somewhat controversial move, Microsoft has removed the Backup utility from the default Windows XP Home Edition, though it is available as an optional installation if you can find it on the CD-ROM (hint: it's in the /valueadd folder). The reason for this the integration of Microsoft's new Automated System Recovery (ASR) tool into Backup. In Pro, ASR will help recover a system from a catastrophic error, such as one that renders the system unbootable. ASR-enabled backups are triggerable from XP Setup, allowing you to return your system to its previous state, even if the hard drive dies and has to be replaced. Unlike consumer-oriented features such as System Restore, ASR is not automatic: It must manually be enabled from within the Backup utility in Windows XP Pro. In any event, while there is a Backup utility available for Home Edition, you cannot use ASR, even though mentions of this feature still exist in the UI. Confusing? Yes. But it's better than no Backup at all, which was the original plan.
Dynamic Disk Support - Windows XP Professional (like its Windows 2000 equivalent) supports dynamic disks, but Home Edition does not (instead, HE supports only the standard Simple Disk type). Dynamic disks are not usable with any OS other than Windows 2000 or Windows XP Pro, and they cannot be used on portable computers. Likewise, Home Edition does not include the Logical Disk Manager.
Fax - Home Edition has no integrated fax functionality out of the box, though it is an option you can install from the XP Home CD.
Internet Information Services/Personal Web Server - Home Edition does not include the IIS Web server 5.1 software found in Pro.
Security
Encrypting File System - Windows XP Professional supports the Encrypting File System (EFS), which allows you encrypt individual files or folders for local security (EFS is not enabled over a network). EFS-protected files and folders allows users to protect sensitive documents from other users.
File-level access control - Any user with Administrator privileges can limit access to certain network resources, such as servers, directories, and files, using access control lists. Only Windows XP Professional supports file-level access control, mostly because this feature is typically implemented through Group Policy Objects, which are also not available in Home Edition.
"C2" certification - Microsoft will attempt to have Windows XP Professional certified with the "C2" security designation, a largely irrelevant status, but one which will not be afforded to Home Edition.
Management
Domain membership - Home Edition cannot be used to logon to an Active Directory domain. For obvious reasons, the Domain Wizard is also missing in Home Edition.
Group Policy - Since Home Edition cannot be used to logon to an Active Directory domain, Group Policy--whereby applications, network resources, and operating systems are administered for domain users--is not supported either.
IntelliMirror - Microsoft lumps a wide range of semi-related change and configuration management technologies under the IntelliMirror umbrella, and none of these features are supported in the consumer oriented Home Edition. IntelliMirror capabilities include user data management; centrally-managed software installation, repair, updating, and removal; user settings management; and Remote Installation Services (RIS), which allows administrators to remotely install the OS on client systems.
Roaming profiles - This feature allows users to logon to any computer in an Active Directory network and automatically receive their customized settings. It is not available in Home Edition, which cannot logon to an Active Directory domain.
Corporate deployment
Multi-language support - Only Windows XP Professional will ship in a Multi-Language version or support multiple languages in a single install.
Sysprep support - Windows XP Pro will support the System Preparation (Sysprep) utility, while Home Edition will not.
RIS support - See the IntelliMirror heading in the previous section; Home Edition does not support RIS deployments.
64-bit Edition
Microsoft is shipping a 64-bit version of Windows XP for Intel Itanium systems that mirrors the Professional Edition feature-set.
Networking features
The following networking features are not included in Home Edition:
The user interface for IPSecurity (IPSec)
SNMP
Simple TCP/IP services
SAP Agent
Client Service for NetWare
Network Monitor
Multiple Roaming feature
User interface features
Windows XP Home Edition has some different default settings that affect the user interface. For example, Guest logon is on by default in Home, but off in Pro. The Address bar in Explorer windows is on in Pro by default, but off in Home. During the beta period, Microsoft had intended to use a business-oriented shell theme ("Professional") by default in Pro and the "Luna" consumer theme in Home Edition. But feedback from corporate users suggested that everyone liked the consumer-oriented Luna theme better, and development of the Professional theme was cancelled. Other user interface features that are present in Pro but not Home include:
Client-side caching
Administrative Tools option on the Start menu (a subset of the Admin tools are still present in Home, however).

Does that mean a whole lot to a standard home user with no networking capabilities, your answer is pretty much no, so save yourself a hundred bucks and get the home version.

To say XP is crap is rediculous, I will be the first to admit, its not your greatest security OS in the world and has some other odd ball defects, but if anything is worth the price of admission, its the automatic drivers built into the OS upon installation--I don't know how many hours I have spent installing drivers on 2k or 98 back in the day....egads..
 

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Posted by Mark J. Marshall (Member # 1409) on 05-11-2004, 11:00 AM:
 

quote: Nick Engstrom

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if anything is worth the price of admission, its the automatic drivers built into the OS upon installation

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I personally prefer being able to recompile the Linux kernel and exclude all the crap I don't need (like support for every single sound card in existance when I only have one) thus allowing for a leaner meaner kernel.

Linus is indeed a genius.
 

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Posted by Bobby Henderson (Member # 840) on 05-11-2004, 07:16 PM:
 
Linux may be great for some (such as those doing web hosting). But it is not (and may never be) an option for me to use. As far as I'm concerned, there's only Mac and Windows. That's it. Plain and simple.

Until Adobe, Macromedia and most other graphics software companies ship fully functional, cross platform compatible versions of their apps for Linux, I will never be a Linux user.

I don't care about "emulation" under Linux either. That will not work with a number of parallel port and USB hardware dongle security keys I have to use with my software. And while GIMP is a nice freebie open source image editor, I will not give up Photoshop for it.

Ultimately, applications drive a platform, not the bells and whistles in the operating system. The only platform I'm considering a shift toward to abandon Microsoft Windows is the Mac OS X platform. The reason? Killer apps like Final Cut Pro. I don't care at all about how "great" the Mac OS is. I could not give a popcorn fart about how many times faster a G5 runs in some isolated floating point "test" than a Pentium 4. The applications are what matters. Little else. The applications are what allows you to get your work done. If I were starting up an audio-video production business, I would have at least two or three Mac-based workstations running FCP, DVD Studio Pro, Pro-Tools, Maya and a few other apps as well. There may be a couple PCs in use as well (for things like webby graphic stuff). But I'm going to get my work done faster (and more profitably) using the apps Apple has that Adobe hasn't managed to equal (yet). For a tiny example, FCP has supported 24p video capture. Adobe is just now offering that with the Premiere Pro 1.5 upgrade.

While I continue to be a one-man-show as far as freelance graphics work goes, I'll probably just stick with my PC (and PC-based application licenses) for now.

Linux is showing some signs of promise, but ultimately it just doesn't have the business model to support killer applications that cost a shitload of money to develop. Most Linux users want everything "open source" or, in other words, FREE. Well, I sure as f**k don't like working for free and I don't know anyone else who likes doing their profession for no pay at all either. That's the biggest problem with Linux. Developers get little or no return on investment.

As for WinXP "Home". It's just crap.

As for WinXP Pro with dual CPU support, you have to do a clean install on a dual CPU system for that version to work at all. You cannot just have a dual-CPU capable PC, slap in another P4 CPU chip and go to town. You have to format C: and start over clean. My understanding is you have to buy a WindowsXP Server or Win2003 Server for support of four or more CPUs. That kind of sucks. Silicon Graphics sells workstations with four-way CPUs. Why can't they allow that in a Windows PC non-server box?
 

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Posted by Ron Lacheur (Member # 1126) on 05-11-2004, 09:10 PM:
 
You don't always have to format over. Sometimes Windows will see the second cpu on it's own. It did with my system.

There isn't a dual capable P4 cpu. Only Xeon.
 

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Posted by Kyle McEachern (Member # 2250) on 05-11-2004, 09:18 PM:
 

quote: Bobby

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If I were starting up an audio-video production business...

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quote: Bobby Henderson

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Until Adobe, Macromedia and most other graphics software companies ship fully functional, cross platform compatible versions of their apps for Linux, I will never be a Linux user.

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quote: Bobby wrote:

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For a tiny example, FCP has supported 24p video capture. Adobe is just now offering that with the Premiere Pro 1.5 upgrade.

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quote: Kyle McEachern

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I'd hope that you would actually make the investment for professional software, since you're so hung up on it...things like Media 100, Avid, ProTools, etc...the stuff that the major professionals use.

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quote:

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Given the huge cost savings in running Linux (even a distribution package) over Windows, I'm surprised that they haven't yet (shipped software titles for Linux).

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