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Page 12 Diablo Blue February, 2002 |
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* Networking. It's a little difficult to set up a mixed network--one with Windows XP and Windows 9x workstations. (But it's not impossible, and the steps to successful networking are fully documented in our book!) Windows XP Home Edition uses only the Simple File Sharing model, which is indeed simple, but also somewhat inflexible. You can set up a folder to be private (so that only your user account can access it, either when logged on locally or over the network) or you can share it with everyone. But you can't, for example, easily set up a shared folder that you and your spouse can access but your kids cannot. (As we mentioned, there is a workaround--detailed in the book--that lets you set up more complex security arrangements using Safe Mode.) Which Version is Best for You? Home Edition or Professional? The essential differences are these: * You can't use Remote Desktop to connect to a computer running Home Edition. (Btw, the computer you connect from can be running any version of Windows 9x/NT/2000/XP.) You can, however, use Remote Assistance to connect to a Home Edition computer. * You can't use Home Edition on a multiprocessor system. * With Home Edition, your computer can't join a Windows NT/2000 domain. (You can, however, use all domain resources if you have a domain user account.) * With Home Edition, you're essentially stuck with Simple File Sharing. You can share/protect only at the folder level, and you can only make a folder private or share it with everyone. The Windows 2000 security model that's available in Professional offers granular security control that lets you assign specific types of access to specific users for specific files. (Most home user won't need this level of control.) * If you install Professional now, you won't be able to upgrade to the Home Edition of the next version of Windows, so you'll pay an extra $100 now and again the next time you upgrade Windows. Pro includes everything that's in Home. If you're unsure about which to get (that is, the points above don't seem to apply to you), try Home Edition. Worst case: you later decide to upgrade to Pro. The Home Edition-to-Professional upgrade is $125, so you're only out an additional $25 compared to purchasing Pro initially. You can find Microsoft's advice on this choice at http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/pro/howtobuy/choosing.asp What’s the Bottom line? * If you're buying a new computer, get XP. (Before you do that, however, run the Windows XP Upgrade Advisor on your current system. Be sure that any software or peripherals you plan to use with your new system will work with XP, or can be inexpensively upgraded.) Don't fret too much about the learning curve for a new OS and its new features; nearly everything you know about your current system can be applied to Windows XP, and you can learn about the new features as you need them. * If you're using Windows 9x AND if your computer has the horsepower (practical minimum: 300 MHz processor, 128 MB RAM, 1.5 GB free disk space) and is compatible (run the Windows XP Upgrade Advisor), strongly consider upgrading to XP. * If you're using Windows 2000 and you're happy with it, hold off on upgrading until you get your next computer. If one of the nifty features like Remote Desktop, Remote Assistance, or digital photo support would make your life easier, pop for XP now. I've decided that XP Professional is right for my newest systems (the rest run Windows 2000), but I don't mean to suggest that it's right for everyone. Besides, Ed and I have written books about earlier versions of Windows too. We'd be just as happy if you bought one of those books. :-) Get Some Help Here are a few URLs that'll help you with the upgrade: Microsoft Product Lifecycle: This site tells you when support dries up for each version of Windows. http://www.microsoft.com/windows/lifecycle.asp Windows XP Upgrade Advisor: The program available at this site checks your computer for hardware and software that may be incompatible with Windows XP. When available, it includes links to upgrade information for the incompatible components. http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/pro/howtobuy/upgrading/advisor.asp Copyright © 2001 by Carl Siechert. Reproduced with permission. Article reproduction coordinated by Steve Bass, Pasadena IBM Users Group. Reaching Ed Bott and Carl Siechert is easy. Ed's site is http://www.bott.com and Carl's company site is http://www.swdocs.com Discussions, links, tips, and other good things are at http://communities.msn.com/WindowsXPInsideOut and, as you'd expect, at each site you'll find links for ordering the book online. |
