XP Professional or XP Home for PTLE DAW?

[johnjm22]

So I'm currently switching from Mac to PC and I'm doing my first build. I'm not sure what version of XP to get though. Home or Pro? What's the difference between the two? Also, should I get the retail version or the OEM version? What's the differance?

Thanks for any help.

[bb_aus]

pro gives you a number of thats that home does not
Multi processor support, if your going to build a 'quadzilla' or any other multi processor system you need pro
networking, even for a basic things like backup to another system while home can do somethings you are best with pro, particularly if you want to network with your mac. muliple users is also easier and more functional, if you want to have a user for pro tools and a user for otehr activities.
extendard support, pro has a mininum of 10 years support from its release which is about another 5 years. you can be sure that as soon as vista is released support for home will be droped.
there are a few other things aswell but they arnt applicable to a DAW sustem so i wont go into it.

[Phil Jeffers]

Thanks bb. Looks like I'm gonna have to bite the bullet and spend more $$$ on Windows XP Professional (I definitely want different log-ons etc.) instead of Windows XP Professional Media Centre Edition that came installed with my Notebook. I had no idea that there was a third Windows XP (I know, didn't do the research). Hopefully then I'll be able to play a single track for longer than 30 seconds!!!!

[bb_aus]

home can still have multiple logons but it is restricted and just doesnt have the flexability that pro does.

i would just go with with pro and not worry about what home doesnt have, at the end of the day its not much extra $ anyway.

the OEM and retail versions are the same as far as the OS is conserned the difference is in the detail of the licening and the retail version gets you a box. OEM is only ment to be sold with hardware but you can usually find somewhere that will sell it to you anyway or if you buy a mouse with it.

[johnjm22]

Thanks for the info bb_aus.

So is there no real advantage to getting the retail version over the OEM version? I heard that if you get the retail version you are liscensed to install XP on mulitple computers, any truth to this? Also, if you get the retail version, won't you be able to purchase Vista cheaper when it comes out?

[bb_aus]

with windows you still only get a single licence, the corperate edition is made for multiple licence and and have the same activation things, but thats only available to big business. and etail versions of office can be used on 2 computers. if you buy the retail you can then apply for extra licences where you only get the licence key and not the media im not sure if this can be done with the OEM version.
prehaps one of these is where you have been confused. i think thats it anyway, im not in sales for MS so i could be mistaken on part of it.

[Phil Jeffers]

Yeah, cheers. There's XP Pro's going on Ebay for like $200 AUD. Thanks again.

[johnjm22]

Thanks again for the reply. But I'm a little confused.

If there's no real advantage of the retail version over the OEM version, then why the price differance? The retail version is $279 and the OEM version is only $137 (Newegg prices).

There has to be some reason why retail is more expensive.

[bb_aus]

Yeah, cheers. There's XP Pro's going on Ebay for like $200 AUD. Thanks again.

beware of second hand copies. you have to activate windows to use it, windows takes a fingerfrint of your system and there are limits on what they will except after the first activation.

[bb_aus]

Thanks again for the reply. But I'm a little confused.

If there's no real advantage of the retail version over the OEM version, then why the price differance? The retail version is $279 and the OEM version is only $137 (Newegg prices).

There has to be some reason why retail is more expensive.

the reason they offer the OEM version cheeper is to bundle it with new hardware so they can sell it to everyone and keep other OSs out of the picture. there may well be something else in the licencing im unaware of but this has always been the reason to sell an OEM version.