Windows 64 or Windows XP Home

[Widkidone]

Which would be best Windows XP 64 Bit Edition or Windows XP Home to play Battlefield 2 and Battlefield 2: Special Forces? I value your opinion guys, thanks for your input.

[alkajazz]

Re: Windows 64 or Windows XP Home

Anythings better than Home Edition imo

i would just go with XP Pro

[imported_rhohan]

Re: Windows 64 or Windows XP Home

home is neutered, mamed, deaf, dumb and retarded compared to xp pro. seriously.

windows 64 is good. the issue you are goig to find is good sound drivers (if you use audigy's), and various programs may or may not work as hot.

my experience with it, is it was very very fast on my athlon64, however, at the time, no drivers were really available for it.

if i had money, i'd get the 64bit version

[Auto-ER-]

Re: Windows 64 or Windows XP Home

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).

There is nothing that will make a difference during gaming or average home use using Home instead of pro, unless you have a dual core CPU. If you can get the x64 for free do it, but otherwise Home is just a fluffier pro with less networking and adminisrative functions.

[BF2_Joe]

Re: Windows 64 or Windows XP Home

Nice
dwdwddwd

[DeathFromAbove]

Re: Windows 64 or Windows XP Home

Never have a problem with pro but I had a problem everyday with windows xp home.

[Auto-ER-]

Re: Windows 64 or Windows XP Home

Never have a problem with pro but I had a problem everyday with windows xp home.

One thing I noticed about Home is it doesn't seem to take as well to SP2, for some reaon I had problems also once I update (I have one of the first Home disc :P). There was no USB 2.0 with Home when it came out, not till SP1, so when I update, I have to go in and change the drivers so it will run with 2.0 instead, other than that though, the quirks are small.

[amish marauder]

Re: Windows 64 or Windows XP Home

I own HOME and PRO. In all fairness they both work fine for games and such. infact you will not see any difference between the two. PRO has many more networking/business features but if you don't need them then don't worry about it.

I wouldn't get WinXP 64.

[Decripfy]

Re: Windows 64 or Windows XP Home

im using xp home... hmmm...

[Chalk.One]

Re: Windows 64 or Windows XP Home

I use x64 and it works great. Driver support is quite good now and I have yet to find an app that I couldn't run or find a replacement for...

[HYP3R]

Re: Windows 64 or Windows XP Home

Anythings better than Home Edition imo

i would just go with XP Pro

Yep ^^^ home sux. XP Pro all the way! I have not played with the 64 so I can't comment. However I have used the Win XP Pro for years now and it ROCKS!

[Auto-ER-]

Re: Windows 64 or Windows XP Home

They are the same OS with exception to the aforementioned features, most of which home users aren't going to need anyway, if Home sucks, than Pro sucks.

[DeathFromAbove]

Re: Windows 64 or Windows XP Home

They are the same OS with exception to the aforementioned features, most of which home users aren't going to need anyway, if Home sucks, than Pro sucks.

No home does suck and pro is cool.

[Auto-ER-]

Re: Windows 64 or Windows XP Home

No home does suck and pro is cool.

Ok...so...what sucks about Home? What's the differences that make it suck?

[DeathFromAbove]

Re: Windows 64 or Windows XP Home

Ok...so...what sucks about Home? What's the differences that make it suck?

One thing I noticed about Home is it doesn't seem to take as well to SP2, for some reaon I had problems also once I update (I have one of the first Home disc :P). There was no USB 2.0 with Home when it came out, not till SP1, so when I update, I have to go in and change the drivers so it will run with 2.0 instead, other than that though, the quirks are small.

That plus pro seems more stable to me.