Windows XP Home vs. Windows XP Professional

Have you ever wondered what the differences are between Windows XP Home Edition vs. Windows XP Professional Edition? There are some key technical differences between these two software packages. I will provide a quick explanation and description of these differences so that you can make a better decision on which one you need.

For the most part Windows XP Home Edition and Windows XP Professional Edition are similar, but there are key features that the Professional edition has that the Home edition doesn't. The Windows XP Professional Edition is meant for business users and programmers. This version of Windows has some key technologies that will be needed by business users, such as the ability to use Windows-based network resources (such as: file share, and network printers) in a corporate environment.

The Windows XP Home Edition is meant for home users. This version of Windows costs less then the Professional edition (generally $99 [for Home] vs. $150 [for Professional]), and doesn't have the ability to be used on a corporate network. It also lacks some key technologies such as the ability to control file permissions, support IIS (HTTP web server), and use EFS (Encrypted File System). Most home users will never miss these technologies.