XP Home VS XP Corporate

Redhairedguy · 03-09-2006 11:46pm #1

Is there really a massive difference between the two?

I'm installing Xp on my Mac, and I have the choice, of either getting corporate edition for free next week. Or buying Home edition now.

I'm just wondering should I bother buying Home, or is corporate decent?

Capt'n Midnight · 04-09-2006 12:14am

The PRO version is better for most things, if you can get a legit license.

If it's OEM - you can't use it
If it's the media only without the COA - you can't use it

TempestSabre · 04-09-2006 12:25am

Theres no such thing as XP Corporate. You might mean XP Professional. The difference between XP Home and XP Pro is shown here.
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/home/howtobuy/choosing2.mspx I reckon if you have to ask, then you don't need it.

the_syco · 04-09-2006 12:42am

TempestSabre wrote:

Theres no such thing as XP Corporate. You might mean XP Professional. The difference between XP Home and XP Pro is shown here.
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/home/howtobuy/choosing2.mspx I reckon if you have to ask, then you don't need it.

Actually, there is a Corporate edition, but its not on sale on the website: its generally for companies wanting 20+ licenses, with maybe one or two keys, and no activation (imagine trying to activate 300 PC's?).

TempestSabre · 04-09-2006 1:08am

the_syco wrote:

Actually, there is a Corporate edition, but its not on sale on the website: its generally for companies wanting 20+ licenses, with maybe one or two keys, and no activation (imagine trying to activate 300 PC's?).

AFAIK no edition with the title "XP Corporate" exists, even if its commonly called that. I'm guessing you mean "Windows XP Pro" edition with a different licence. http://www.microsoft.com/resources/sam/what_basics_licensingwhat.mspx

Other then the license and the validation of same theres no difference between the various licenses you can get. So my OEM XP Pro is the same as a Select XP Pro is the same as XP Pro retail. (Ignoring the 64bit editions). Thats been my experience of the different licences. Granted I've never explored it in any great detail, so maybe there are.

However AFAIK there are functional differences between XP Home, XP Media Center and XP Professional. I would assume is this that Redhairedguy is enquiring about. Then again I could be completely wrong.

04-09-2006 10:29pm

Yep, "XP Corporate" was a term created by warez pirates in reference to the Volume Licence version of XP Professional.

Redhairedguy · 05-09-2006 1:29am

okay, if indeed, it is XP pro I'm getting for free then I should be happy. I was told by the chap I'm getting it off, that it doesn't need an activation key. Is this dodgy or normal. I don't wanna go putting something on my Mac that's gonna get me busted!

05-09-2006 1:36am

Redhairedguy wrote:

I was told by the chap I'm getting it off, that it doesn't need an activation key. Is this dodgy or normal.

That's the Volume Licence version alright. It's both XP Pro and dodgy!

TempestSabre · 05-09-2006 8:38am

Karsini wrote:

That's the Volume Licence version alright. It's both XP Pro and dodgy!

Exactly.

Redhairedguy · 06-09-2006 7:05pm

ohhh... So am I better off to not to get it then?

Cause, it really ain't any skin off my nose!

Capt'n Midnight · 07-09-2006 9:31pm

me wrote:

The PRO version is better for most things, if you can get a legit license.

If it's OEM - you can't use it
If it's the media only without the COA - you can't use it

position hasn't changed.

If you can't get a legit version then you have to buy one.

The 'free' version must come with a license, if the company is using volume licenses instead of COA's you would need something in writing confirming they are allocating you one license ( and I'm not even sure how easy it is to transfer individual volume licenses )

Makaveli · 07-09-2006 10:38pm

Just to hijack this thread for a moment (apologies).

I have XP Pro (Retail) that's not installed on any PC, but I don't really want to install Pro I'd rather have Home. If I borrow someones XP Home disc will the Pro Key work with it or does it have to be a Home key?

07-09-2006 10:42pm

Makaveli wrote:

Just to hijack this thread for a moment (apologies).

I have XP Pro (Retail) that's not installed on any PC, but I don't really want to install Pro I'd rather have Home. If I borrow someones XP Home disc will the Pro Key work with it or does it have to be a Home key?

It has to be a Home key unfortunately.

kaimera · 07-09-2006 10:45pm

Has to be a home key afaik.

I tried a home key with a corp version of XP Pro to no avail so I'm assuming it wouldn't work.

Open to correction tho.

TempestSabre · 07-09-2006 10:50pm

Makaveli wrote:

Just to hijack this thread for a moment (apologies).

I have XP Pro (Retail) that's not installed on any PC, but I don't really want to install Pro I'd rather have Home. If I borrow someones XP Home disc will the Pro Key work with it or does it have to be a Home key?

Why on earth would you want to do that?

sceptre · 07-09-2006 10:53pm

kaimera wrote:

Has to be a home key afaik.

I tried a home key with a corp version of XP Pro to no avail so I'm assuming it wouldn't work.

Open to correction tho.

Definitely won't work. Apparently it's checked against a different hash table.

In any event the licensing downgrade rights that were previously available vanished with WinXP, even if they included non-previous but lesser versions of the same product, which they didn't really.

Makaveli · 07-09-2006 11:00pm

TempestSabre wrote:

Why on earth would you want to do that?

Just used to Home, that's all really. Also weren't there conflicts with Pro and games? Ah well, Pro it is so.

07-09-2006 11:14pm

Pro will do you fine. Any problems Pro has, Home will have them too. Maybe you're thinking of Windows 2000 Professional.

TempestSabre · 08-09-2006 8:31am

Makaveli wrote:

Just used to Home, that's all really. Also weren't there conflicts with Pro and games? Ah well, Pro it is so.

No there isn't any difference. Were did you hear that?

Will games run ok on a mac running XP? What games are are you thinking off?

TerrorFirmer · 09-09-2006 12:21am

TempestSabre wrote:

No there isn't any difference. Were did you hear that?

Will games run ok on a mac running XP? What games are are you thinking off?

Dawn of War - I've been pestering him to get XP sorted so we can get 4 player battles going. His macbook is decent with a 1.86 Core Duo and X1600Pro

TempestSabre · 09-09-2006 12:25am

I didn't realise it could play PC games though.

TerrorFirmer · 09-09-2006 8:35am

I was lead to believe a mac booting xp can play any game (only limited by requirements as per a normal windows pc)?

As in, a mac running xp, the newer ones with standard parts, can play games normally as you would on any pc?

TempestSabre · 09-09-2006 9:19am

TBH I've no idea. Be interested to hear if it works though...

09-09-2006 11:20pm

Can't see any reason why an Intel based Mac couldn't run something a normal PC can. Provided you have all the right drivers of course.

TempestSabre · 10-09-2006 9:09am

Karsini wrote:

Can't see any reason why an Intel based Mac couldn't run something a normal PC can. Provided you have all the right drivers of course.

The Bios. Even on older macs where you could use the same hardware as PC's like gfx cards, you couldn't use the same bios on the gfx card. I'd assume thats not the case now, but you never know.

XP Home VS XP Corporate

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