# Windows ME vs 2000 vs XP Home vs XP Professional **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [May 25, 2003, 6:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-me-vs-2000-vs-xp-home-vs-xp-professional/177434 "2003-05-25T18:37:46Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![yosemite](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/3ab097/32.png) [@yosemite](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yosemite)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2003, 9:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-me-vs-2000-vs-xp-home-vs-xp-professional/177434/41 "2003-05-26T21:48:20Z")
> [@](#): > > RickJay wrote: > > I’d love it if you could give me OS X. But my computer doesn’t run it and I’m sure not gonna buy a whole new system to use it. Well, it _would_ be better for **the majority of users** if they wanted to get a Mac. I mean, in a perfect world. y’all would be able to buy your own Mac, and you could see that OS X was better for **the majority of users!** I’m just sayin’ is all… 😃 ---
**Author:** ![spectrum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9fc29f/32.png) [@spectrum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/spectrum)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2003, 10:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-me-vs-2000-vs-xp-home-vs-xp-professional/177434/42 "2003-05-26T22:35:42Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by RickJay \* > \*\*However, the statement was what is better than XP **for the majority of users?** Whatever the advantages of OS X, i is of absolutely no value whatsoever to the majority of ordinary users, who use computer OS X does not work with. \*\* Those users will buy new machines eventually, and a good number, if not perhaps a majority aside from gamers, would be better off buying Mac OS X systems at that point. Between the better integrated hardware and software, better UI, better multimedia apps and general lack of viruses, IMO it’s an overwhelmingly better platform than Windows for the vast majority of home computer users. > [@](#): > > \*\*I’d love it if you could give me OS X. But my computer doesn’t run it and I’m sure not gonna buy a whole new system to use it. \*\* Your loss. But let’s not pretend like you’re going to be using your current system for the rest of the decade. The “my current computer won’t run it” is a pale and meaningless argument in the long run. ---
**Author:** ![yosemite](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/3ab097/32.png) [@yosemite](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yosemite)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2003, 10:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-me-vs-2000-vs-xp-home-vs-xp-professional/177434/43 "2003-05-26T22:45:42Z")
Oh, the lack of viruses…tell me about it, spectrum! Last night I decided to scan my Mac for viruses. Just for the helluvit. The last time I’d scanned the HDD was in November. ::shrug:: (And no, there were no viruses. Of course!) Not that I want this to turn into a platform war, mind. I repeat, if you are running a Wintel machine, I would recommend XP Pro. Incidentally, I am currently trying to salvage my OEM version of Windows XP Pro, so I can use it on a radically upgraded PC. (I think “transferring” an OEM version of XP won’t work, but what if I want to replace the motherboard with something better, get a better case, and get RAM that will work with the new motherboard? What about that?) Sorry…starting to ramble… ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d26b3c/32.png) [@Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Blue_Sky)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2003, 10:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-me-vs-2000-vs-xp-home-vs-xp-professional/177434/44 "2003-05-26T22:53:58Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by yosemitebabe \* > \*\*Sorry…starting to ramble… \*\* That’s OK. You’re a Mac user, we understand. 😃 It’s a joke, people! ---
**Author:** ![Ms2001](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ms2001/32/18463_2.png) [@Ms2001](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ms2001)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2003, 10:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-me-vs-2000-vs-xp-home-vs-xp-professional/177434/45 "2003-05-26T22:56:12Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by neutron star \* > **So what about gaming? Well, I don’t buy all that many games, but the ones I do get tend to be fairly demanding on my computer, so they’re probably a good example. GTA3 installed and ran great on my Windows 2000 machine. I never even needed the 1.1 patch. Damn thing never crashed. So once I got XP up, running, and updated, one of the first things I did was install GTA3. It wouldn’t run - at all. Geez.** I had the opposite problem with Rainbow Six. It doesn’t run on Windows 2000, but does run on XP. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Cheatem\_Undhow](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/13edae/32.png) [@Dewey\_Cheatem\_Undhow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Cheatem_Undhow)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2003, 12:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-me-vs-2000-vs-xp-home-vs-xp-professional/177434/46 "2003-05-27T00:40:47Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by elucidator \* > **Whippersnappers! Why, back in my day we ran Win '95 and were glad to get it! What You See Might Very Well Bear Some Resemblence to What You Get! Those were the days, we weren’t all spoiled, not afraid to tap in the occassional DOS command, get our hands dirty! Harumph. Kids these days, wear their hair all funny, and that so-called _music_…** Ha! You’re a wet-behind-the-ears greenhorn! “Occasional DOS command?” I scoff at you! I remember the bad old days when all we had was DOS. Playing with config files to free up as much of that 640k of conventional memory, futzing about with sound card IRQs, making boot disks for every game. Back then, every game was really two games: the game itself, and getting the damn thing to run. Back in the day, I got both _Ultima VII_ and _Strike Commander_ up and running with sound cards on non-default ports. Bow before my l337 DOS skillz. ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2003, 12:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-me-vs-2000-vs-xp-home-vs-xp-professional/177434/47 "2003-05-27T00:52:46Z")
Puppy! I’m talking 8086 chip, running at 10HZ, 64 K total, thats K not Mg, whelp! CPM OS, before Billy Gates even got around to stealing DOS from that poor schmuck in California. (For $10,000. What a _prick!_) It ran WordStar, barely, and a stripped down version of Q-Basic. Modem? Whats that, youngster? ---
**Author:** ![frithrah](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ad7895/32.png) [@frithrah](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/frithrah)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2003, 12:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-me-vs-2000-vs-xp-home-vs-xp-professional/177434/48 "2003-05-27T00:59:32Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by elucidator \* > \*\*Puppy! I’m talking 8086 chip, running at 10HZ, 64 K total, thats K not Mg, whelp! CPM OS, before Billy Gates even got around to stealing DOS from that poor schmuck in California. (For $10,000. What a _prick!_) It ran WordStar, barely, and a stripped down version of Q-Basic. > > Modem? Whats that, youngster? \*\* Hah! I wrote my own games on my commode Vic 20 and they never crashed! Oh, excuse me while I fart this dust… 😃 ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2003, 1:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-me-vs-2000-vs-xp-home-vs-xp-professional/177434/49 "2003-05-27T01:14:16Z")
Kaypro 10, the portable model, only weighed about 50 lbs. One serial port. Built in monitor, about the size of your fingernail. Color, if you brought your own crayons. ---
**Author:** ![furt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/439d5e/32.png) [@furt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/furt)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2003, 1:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-me-vs-2000-vs-xp-home-vs-xp-professional/177434/50 "2003-05-27T01:56:44Z")
Amiga ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2003, 1:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-me-vs-2000-vs-xp-home-vs-xp-professional/177434/51 "2003-05-27T01:59:03Z")
So, OK, Jose, you got a girlfriend. Whoop-de-fucka-doo! ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d26b3c/32.png) [@Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Blue_Sky)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2003, 2:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-me-vs-2000-vs-xp-home-vs-xp-professional/177434/52 "2003-05-27T02:04:56Z")
Radio Shack TRS-80. 4K. Freakin’ cassette drive. 12" RCA b&w TV as a monitor. Might as well been using an abacus. ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2003, 2:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-me-vs-2000-vs-xp-home-vs-xp-professional/177434/53 "2003-05-27T02:23:45Z")
An abacus. An actual freakin’ abacus. Two beads missing. ---
**Author:** ![hansel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/6bbea6/32.png) [@hansel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hansel)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2003, 2:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-me-vs-2000-vs-xp-home-vs-xp-professional/177434/54 "2003-05-27T02:39:31Z")
[Windows XP Professional can be had for $133.95, OEM](http://arstechnica.pricegrabber.com/search_getprod.php/masterid=477480/search=windows%2520xp/ut=411ac7debd5ddede)–that’s a real, legal copy, no bootleg or counterfeit, so don’t worry. I’ve heard, but not experienced, that Pro is more stable than Home. It’s as rock solid as Win2K, so the only advantage I’ve seen to it is ClearType font rendering, which looks amazing at high res on an LCD screen (better than OS X, IMO). If you get a P4 with hyperthreading enabled, Windows XP Home will treat that as a dual processor machine and use both–the restriction on the number of processors is on real, physical processors, not virtual processors. I play a lot of (recent) games, and I’ve never encountered anything that I would characterise as XP slowing down the game itself. ---
**Author:** ![Apos](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/838e76/32.png) [@Apos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Apos)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2003, 3:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-me-vs-2000-vs-xp-home-vs-xp-professional/177434/55 "2003-05-27T03:03:45Z")
> [@](#): > > and I’ve never encountered anything that I would characterise as XP slowing down the game itself. Well, it does apparently consume outrageous amounts of system memory even when its not doing anything in particular… ---
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2003, 3:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-me-vs-2000-vs-xp-home-vs-xp-professional/177434/56 "2003-05-27T03:05:55Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by elucidator \* > \*\*An abacus. An actual freakin’ abacus. Two beads missing. \*\* Mastodon bone on which I have used flint chip to inscribe the rising and falling of the night sun. Input not so handy but OS very stable. ---
**Author:** ![Apos](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/838e76/32.png) [@Apos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Apos)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2003, 3:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-me-vs-2000-vs-xp-home-vs-xp-professional/177434/57 "2003-05-27T03:20:30Z")
What, exactly, is OEM in terms of the restrictions on usage, however? If I get a new hard drive, am I out of luck? ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2003, 3:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-me-vs-2000-vs-xp-home-vs-xp-professional/177434/58 "2003-05-27T03:22:13Z")
Live mastadon. Can’t add, can’t spell, and if you try to incise he pounds you into goo. ---
**Author:** ![Severian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/49beb7/32.png) [@Severian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Severian)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2003, 3:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-me-vs-2000-vs-xp-home-vs-xp-professional/177434/59 "2003-05-27T03:48:13Z")
If you can at all afford it, get XP Pro over Home. You’ll be glad you did if you ever get a chance to use VPN to work from home (it doesn’t work in Home). ---
**Author:** ![hansel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/6bbea6/32.png) [@hansel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hansel)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2003, 11:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-me-vs-2000-vs-xp-home-vs-xp-professional/177434/60 "2003-05-27T11:58:01Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Apos \* > \*\*What, exactly, is OEM in terms of the restrictions on usage, however? If I get a new hard drive, am I out of luck? \*\* Absolutely no different than if you bought the pretty blue box. Like buying a piece of hardware OEM, you get a white or brown box with nothing but the item inside–in this case, a Windows XP CD-ROM, a 25 character product key, and a certificate of authenticity. What you don’t get is that useless manual and other paper junk that comes in the Best Buy version. You also don’t get MS tech support, but I’ve never called them in my life, since I know more than the minimum wage monkeys on the other end of the line who are reading the help files out loud to you. You have to do product activation, and if you change too many pieces of hardware, you’ll have to call and get them to re-activate it; again, just like buying the full consumer version. You’re not buying a limited functionality version, you’re buying a copy without all the pretty packaging. Yes, XP consumes a lot more memory than 98 or ME, even when it’s doing nothing. I wouldn’t install it on a box with less than 256MBs of RAM. But that’s the price you pay for greater stability and such. What I meant when I said that it doesn’t slow down games at all, IMO, is that, with sufficient RAM in the machine, it doesn’t seem to be struggling to keep up with the game. I’ve also had a few games crash out from under me, bumping me straight out to the desktop. Restart the game, reload from where I was, and go. Still much better, overall, than the 98 stream of Windows. I have had one game crash the whole system with a blue screen: GTA Vice City. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-me-vs-2000-vs-xp-home-vs-xp-professional/177434.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-me-vs-2000-vs-xp-home-vs-xp-professional/177434.md?page=4)