A. Windows XP is the most recent desktop operating system from Microsoft. There were basically two different versions of Windows; consumer and business. Over the past few years, Microsoft has been building and supporting two completely separate versions of Windows. Windows 95/98/Me was designed for consumers with an emphasis on ease of use, compatibility, and multimedia capabilities. At the same time, Microsoft created Windows NT for businesses that need security, and reliability. Windows XP builds on the stability and strength of the Windows NT/2000 Operating System, while incorporating the usability of Windows 95/98.
Q. Why are there two different versions of Windows XP?
A. Windows XP is released in two different versions: Windows XP Professional (for businesses) and Windows XP Home Edition (for consumers.). Why Microsoft released two different versions of Windows XP is question that seems to stir a bit of debate. Microsoft released Windows XP Home and Windows XP Professional, targeted as you might suspect from their Home and Professional designations, toward home users and business users. Both versions are based on the same kernel (operating system guts) that is a variation of the one found in Windows 2000.
Q. What are the differences between Windows 2000 Professional and Windows XP Professional?
A. Not much. Microsoft has added a host of new features to both versions of Windows XP, but nothing that appears to be absolutely compelling for business users. One of the new features called "Fast User Switching" allows running two separate logged in sessions at once. This allows a user to do everyday work such as e-mail using a non-privileged user account, and then run an Administrative session at the same time without rebooting or resorting to the "Run As" command. This also allows you to quickly log onto any users workstation and make administrative changes without logging them off. The remote assistance feature of XP can also help reduce support costs by allowing your Help Desk staff to interact with a user's PC over the network.
Q. What does the "XP" stand for?
A. The official Microsoft answer is that XP stands for "experience", in the sense that they are combining their years of experience creating two very successful desktop operating systems into one really great product. Pundits have come up with their own definitions of XP, including "eXPensive" and "eXtra Profits".
Q. Can I connect more than one computer to the internet using Windows XP?
A. Yes. Windows XP has Internet Connection Sharing (ICS) which allows sharing of a single internet connection.
Q. What happens if I don't activate Windows XP?
A. If you don't complete the product activation process after 30 days, Windows XP will still boot, but you'll be unable to launch Windows until you call the Microsoft Clearinghouse and enter the code.
