Windows XP Editions

Available Windows XP Editions

1. Windows XP Professional Edition
2. Windows XP Home Edition
3. Windows XP Media Center Edition
4. Windows XP Tablet PC Edition
5. Windows XP 64-Bit Edition

Windows XP Professional Edition

Windows XP Professional Edition is intended for computers that are part of a corporate
network, for the majority of computers on small networks, and for home users who
need certain advanced capabilities. Windows XP Professional sets the standard for
desktop performance, security, and reliability.

Windows XP Home Edition

Windows XP Home Edition, which is intended for home users, simplifies many aspects
of networking and file management so that home users have a cleaner experience. In
particular, Windows XP Home Edition has the following limitations compared with
Windows XP Professional

■ Windows XP Home Edition does not support the use of NTFS or print permissions.
Instead, Windows XP Home Edition supports only Simple File Sharing.
■ Windows XP Home Edition does not support the use of dynamic disks.
■ Windows XP Home Edition does not support the Encrypting File System (EFS).
■ Windows XP Home Edition supports only one processor, whereas Windows XP
Professional supports two processors.
■ Windows XP Home Edition does not include Internet Information Services.
■ Windows XP Home Edition does not include Remote Desktop.
■ Windows XP Home Edition does not provide Remote Installation Services (RIS).

Windows XP Media Center Edition

The Windows XP Media Center Edition 2004 operating system is available only on new
Media Center PCs—computers with special hardware features that enable users to connect
the computer as an integral part of a home entertainment system. Because of its
special requirements, Media Center PCs running Windows XP Media Center Edition are
available only from Microsoft PC manufacturer partners.

Windows XP Tablet PC Edition

The Windows XP Tablet PC Edition operating system expands on Windows XP Professional,
providing all the features and performance of Windows XP Professional, while also providing additional capabilities designed to take advantage of a touch-screen interface pen input, handwriting recognition, and speech recognition. Windows XP Tablet PC Edition offers users the efficiency and dependability of Windows XP Professional. For developers, it offers a rich platform for creating new applications or extending their current applications to take advantage of Tablet PC handwriting and speech capabilities.

Windows XP 64-Bit Edition

Microsoft Windows XP 64-Bit Edition, which provides support for the 64-bit computing platforms, is designed to meet the demands of advanced technical workstation users who require large amounts of memory and floating point performance in areas such as mechanical design and analysis, 3D animation, video editing and composition, and scientific and high-performance computing applications. One of the key differences between the 64-bit and 32-bit platforms is that the 64-bit platform supports considerably more system memory—up to 16 GB of physical RAM.