Cozy Home look
The two versions have skin-deep differences and significant interface differences, too: by default, the Home Edition places Quick Launch icons next to the Start button, but it does not list recently used documents in the Start menu. In Professional, the opposite applies. The inconsistency is apparently the result of focus groups and corporate feedback (the great bane of any product design), and, naturally, it's a pain if you use both versions. But you can change these interface settings after jumping through a few hoops, so it's not worth fretting over.
Beefy Professional security
You'll find even more differences under the surface of these two editions. Professional Edition offers extra features that will appeal to those upgrading from Windows 2000 Professional--mostly administrator features and security options crucial for corporate setups.
These administrative features include about 300 new administrative and group policies (new since Windows 2000 Professional), including one that lets system administrators redirect the contents of My Documents to a network server for security and backup. XP Pro boasts roaming user profiling; you can sit at any computer on your company's local area network and log on to your personal system settings, with access to all of your settings and documents.
In the security arena, XP Professional includes the Encrypting File System for disguising sensitive data. This feature, introduced in Windows 2000 Professional, lets NTFS-based disks scramble data stored on their hard disks for added security--a big plus for laptop users who dread losing trade secrets if their
laptops get hijacked.
Remote control and access
XP Pro provides two remote control programs that allow you to control your PC from another Web-enabled PC. If you're having system trouble, Remote Assistant lets tech-savvy friends or support folks fix your system with a minimum of fuss. The Assistant sends e-mail with a link that lets your friend remotely connect to your PC. The link is designed to work on a case-by-case basis (it's tied to the recipient of your e-mail link and expires quickly) so that this feature doesn't create a permanent back door into your PC. This is a strength and a weakness, since you'll need to resend a link if your tech buddy can't help you right away.
The second app is Remote Desktop, which provides remote control similar to pcAnywhere's or GoToMyPC's. This underrated feature is the most compelling lure for small-business users to consider using Professional Edition; it's a boon for anyone who's on the road or doing a little weekend work from home. Note: If you have XP Home, you can use Remote Desktop to connect a PC running XP Professional (in other words, you can dial up work from home), but you can't do the opposite.
