xp pro vs xp media center (current)

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I am going to upgrade hardware / software and it seems like all of the mainline boxes from Circuit City – best buy – et al only have xp – media center. I don’t really know difference, but I know I am NOT going to use new pc for tv / photos / etc.

I am upgrading from win2k – pro and plan to go with XP – Pro ( don’t want to wait the 2 years for MS let everyone debug VISTA.

Is there any reason I would ever want media center?

Seems to me like xp – pro is the way to go – assuming I can get a box without media center.

Any help appreciated.

Tom

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Media Center is Windows XP Home with some extra multimedia features. If you need the features that distinguish Windows XP Pro from the Home edition (see Windows XP Comparison Guide), go for Pro. Otherwise, since you don’t need the multimedia features, the Home edition should be sufficient, and the cheapest of the XP versions. Also see Five editions of Windows XP compared.

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Like tomyrush, I’m looking at a new CPU sometime soon, so I appreciated Hans’ links.

It appears that the only feature in XP Pro not in XP Home that I could need is “Remote Desktop

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I don’t use Media Center, but I can say with certainty that if pcAnywhere supports XP Home, Media Center would be no different. Media Center is really just an application (or application suite if you prefer) that runs on top of Windows XP. That’s why Symantec’s website does not mention the product specifically; it’s not an OS unto itself, it’s just a different “edition” – not version – of XP Home.

That said, I would strongly encourage you to consider alternatives to pcAnywhere. There was a time when I wouldn’t have said that, but of late nearly all of Symantec’s products are far more bloated than an equivalent offering from a different vendor.

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just a word of advice: careful with symantec’s PCanywhere… it broke my computer when i uninstalled it. it uninstalled the DLL required to draw the windows desktop for some reason and I was stuck. i had to salvage what i could from another PC & format the machine (i spent weeks researching ways to avoid doing this).

PS. nice userpic!

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Symantec’s products have a reputation for being difficult (and often impossible without a registry edit) to remove. I would always recommend that you make a full image backup before attempting to install or uninstall any Symantec product.

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Sound advice, and a major reason I don’t use Symantec’s products anymore. They might be slick and win awards, but I’d rather have fast and effective without the glitzy interface.

PS. Thanks!

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What AV product are you using these days Mark ??

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After a lot of testing and playing around, I ended up settling on Avast! for personal use. It’s very lightweight and does not put nearly the hit on system resources that Symantec’s offering does. It’s for personal use, although registration is required, and the only irritation I’ve found is that by default it talks to you. Disable the sounds and it behaves like an AV product should: transparently and effectively. I never cottoned on to the UI that was included in AVG Antivirus, and I feel comfortable recommending Avast! as a free solution to clients.

I decided to abandon Symantec’s products largely after my experience with a dual-Opteron NLE workstation that I built for a client. This machine was massively overpowered in nearly every sense, as it was intended for commercial video editing (4GB RAM, 1.5 TB SATA RAID array, nVidia Quadro video card, the works). On a clean installation of XP, Norton Antivirus slowed the entire system down dramatically, something I found completely unacceptable given the horsepower that was being thrown at it. And incidentally, removing Norton Systemworks was an exercise in frustration, ultimately leading to re-imaging the workstation to get rid of all of the little bits and pieces that were left behind after the “uninstall.”

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Thanks for the informative reply Mark.

I’ve been using Symantec AV for years and had a big problem last summer when I had to upgrade from the 2003 to 2005 edition and it didn’t go smoothly (to put it mildly). After the “upgrade” trashed my system and wouldn’t run or update itself I attempted to avail myself of their phone support, but didn’t speak enough Hindi to get through to the support tech and had to make a command decision and resort to restoring an image I made just before starting to install 2005. Once back to normal, I uninstalled 2003 using Symantec’s removal tools and then edited all traces I could find of Norton and Symantec from the registry and only then did 2005 install and work properly. I’d have chucked it, but I’d paid for it and figured I’d try to live with it. Now I find I may have a problem with the LiveUpdate feature, but it might be a false warning due to me turning back the date on my system the other day to read a date sensitive CD of my brother’s wedding photos . The error directed me to one of Symantec’s wonderful little “AutoFix” Tools (that concept in itself scares me) and it didn’t work (surprise, surprise) and I was then directed to uninstall all my Symantec products using another of their little tools. I bailed out at that point and will see what happens over the next week or so. If it gives me any more trouble, it’s in the trash, and I’ll remove it and edit the registry and give Avast a go based on your recommendation and what I just read on their site. Heck, I may just do that anyway.

Up until now, I’ve been recommending AVG to my friends and clients who want AV or don’t like Symantec or McAfee. But, like you, I’m less than thrilled with AVGs UI. Avast may be my new AV program of choice. The AV subscription on my son’s machine is up in 10 days and I think I’ll install Avast and run it through it’s paces.

Your advice and recommendations are always well thought out and sound. Thanks again.

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I believe (without searching to see) that it was an earlier recommendation from Mark that led me to install Avast on this “new” Dell back in April when I bought it. I don’t even mind the little audio thingie that pops up to tell me that the Avast database has been updated. I don’t know if it’s Avast or the fact that I’m a careful surfer and also use MailWasher on the front end of email, but I’ve not had any problems either with baddies or system consumption.

My older PIII machine still runs with the Trend Micro product but I didn’t want to buy a second license. As I’ve reported in the past, I haven’t had any problems on that machine either and it’s been running with pcCillin for a few years now.

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Thanks for the input, Al.  Just bolsters my resolve to dump Symantec’s junk and get back to the  world !!  If the it gives me even an inkling of trouble with this LiveUpdate thing, it’s outta here !!!

I’m generally careful on the net myself, but do take the occasional chance or sometimes follow a link that is emailed to me, but feel that my system is pretty secure and if that fails, I’ve got an image to restore. I’m not a diligent as you, and only do an image every month. I do back up important stuff to external media as soon as it’s created though.

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…I do back up important stuff to external media as soon as it’s created though…

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[/indent]Amen to that! I wish I had better luck convincing more people, like my stubborn SON, that a nightly backup of selected files can be done semi-automatically, while you sleep. As I’ve also reported in the past, I use NewTech Infosystems Backup software but there are also plenty of other alternatives. Backing up my bookmarks, email, documents, Quicken, etc. files takes only a minute or two at 1 AM.

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I don’t even mind the little audio thingie that pops up to tell me that the Avast database has been updated.

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[/indent]I didn’t either, until I forgot to turn my speakers down to a reasonable level and was jarred out of sound sleep around 4:00 in the morning by a mechanical sounding voice…

Actually, it does let you know that the program is doing something (if you’re around to hear it). More than once I’ve seen Symantec’s automatic updates fail silently because a password was changed, or similar. With that application, you don’t know until you try to update manually that something is amiss. Unacceptable for a program that is supposed to protect you in the background.

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I switched also to Avast on the recomend from here some months aga and have been perfectly satisfied. And if you dont like the sounds (can be a shock I agree) I think they can be disabled in the settings as per screenshot

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Hi,
Since you moderators already has the thread with a small discussion about AV …

I certainly like AV-programs with a small footprint, that works as you said Mark, transparently and effectively. Of course one cannot expect it to be extremely small and with no impact on speed at all, given what it should do: real-time scanning, email-scanning etc.

At the moment, and for the last around 3-4 years, I am using AVG Free. I can think of other products with a small footprint that works great and have good reputation, such as F-PROT. But, at moment I’m not so interested in paying for an AV-product if I don’t have to. I have recently upgraded some parts (apr.$500), have other projects this autumn and winter, so I am waiting and following the development in the security product area.

Was it anything in particular with the AVG UI that you didn’t like or found better in Avast? I agree that some parts (email-scanner settings) have several dialog boxes etc. so some parts could be better. And help files in the Free version isn’t always that helpful. That said, I have not had any problems with AVG Free.

Isn’t Avast the AV-program with the possibility to change skins? That should give the kids a lot of different UI’s to chose from. From my point of view, computer security is a serious matter, and the cleaner and more clear look in the UI the better. OK I know, the respected F-Secure had a themed version (based on the great Tove Jansson’s Moomin books), but still … some of Avast skins doesn’t look like, well words fails me.

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I found AVG’s UI to be rather confusing and somewhat cluttered. Nothing major, it just does not look all that well thought out and it’s hard to use. The learning curve for the average user is rather steep.

Avast! does have the option for skins, but I personally don’t use them. At least with Avast!, there is an option to turn them off, unlike the vendor that I ran screaming from months ago…

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My Dell has MCE installed and since I don’t “like” pcAnywhere, I run RealVNC quite nicely to connect to (usually) a Win98SE machine, an XP Pro and another Dell with MCE. There are several free remote control alternatives and you’ll find a couple by searching The Lounge.

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Hi Everyone

Found this site reading Woody’s “Windows XP for Dummies”.
Hi Woody .. (If you ever come here.)

Responding to the question about windows xp pro and/or the mce edition, I bought this Gateway mce from Costco about six months ago. I didn’t have a Clue about computers then, (or now) and only got it for the Great monitor!
The Gateway fpd2185w 21 inch, “pivoting” (landscape to automatic portrait view) one.

Well anyway.. to get back on subject, according to my system info, This IS the xp pro.
Now please don’t hang me out to dry for this, all I can tell you is that the system itself says:
Model: Gateway Gm5045e
OS: 5.1.2600 Xp Pro

Mc

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Welcome to Woody’s Lounge!

My guess is that your PC is named a Media Center, but that the operating system is Windows XP Pro. If you’d had Windows XP Media Center Edition, it would have said so in the properties of My Computer etc.

Windows XP Media Center Edition has some features of Windows XP Pro, such as access control, but it lacks others, such as remote desktop and logging onto a domain.

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Thanks for the welcome Hans,

I don’t have a clue as to os systems and these xp’s are a real mystery to me.

I still have the box that this came in and there is no mention of it being a pro series.

There isn’t even any info about it in all of the literature/manuals that came with it?

All of the information is about : Media Center Edition 2005.

It has the remote control and all of the hardware/software that the other mce’s have and the presentation cd was nothing But media center.

Heck why pay more for the pro if the mce comes with it?
I gotta tell ya, this thing Rocks .. Even to a newbie like me!

BTW. What is that gator with the pajamas doing, popping in and out of the top right corner? {8- o

Mc

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I can’t explain why system info would mention Windows XP Pro if you have Media Center Edition 2005.

> What is that gator with the pajamas doing, popping in and out of the top right corner?

That is Lex the Lounge Lizard, our mascot. If you hover your mouse pointer over him, you’ll see what he says. The picture and text change with the time of the day.

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Did you read this info from a tag physically on the chassis? (“Model: Gateway Gm5045e OS: 5.1.2600 Xp Pro”) It’s possible it got incorrectly labeled at manufacture. If you right-click the My Computer icon and select Properties you should see a screen like this attachment.

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From this ad for a refurbished system it would appear that this is in fact a Media Center PC. That said, Media Center is not an operating system, but more like an overlay or add-on to an XP Pro system. XP Pro with extra features, so to speak.

This information does not appear to be readily available or clear on Gateway’s site.

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My 2 cents:

I have both XP Pro retail and MCE on 2 PCs. MCE “is” XP Pro — BUT — with some stuff removed and some stuff added in (to make it MCE), MCE takes up almost twice the HDD space as “Plain” XP Pro and since I do not have a TV tuner nor plan to hook up my MCE PC to my cable, I think it is a waste of space for anyone who just wanted plain XP Pro.

Just another way for M$ to make money.

Dell has changed their tune and now charges extra for MCE, when in 2005 they included it as the newest and greatest OS, according to them!

I value my disk space more than the junk M$ comes up with to entice buyers to spend more $$$!
Whether MCE can be considered an extra feature is debatable! I don’t need dancing little girls on my screen!!

CP

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Just got home from work.
I got the information from Systems Properties.

At the Great Risk of making myself the Butt of jokes of the group .. I bought this computer not knowing and never having operated a coputer before. (unless you count the ones in the local library).

I didn’t know what an MCE was. (I bought it for the great monitor that came with it.
Oh yea, the “Making myself the Butt of jokes” part .. I was a Webtv user for over eight years [8- (

Mc

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Take comfort in the knowledge that you bought a pretty decent system with a few “extras” that you may or may not need. This is the case with most PCs and most software. Most every PC will have more capabilitiy than the user needs and the software has always had more “features” than anyone realizes or ever finds, much less uses.

The most important thing is that you are happy with your new PC and can enjoy it and make good use of what you have. “Good use” being a term that is relative to each user.

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At the Great Risk of making myself the Butt of jokes of the group

I don’t believe you will ever have to worry about being “The Butt of Jokes” in the Lounge! Buying a new computer can be difficult even for the seasoned user…. And asking questions is a way to learn and to keep learning! So welcome to the Lounge, enjoy that new computer and keep on learning with the rest of us!

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I can add to what Hans posted to tell you that I have a machine running XP Pro, since day one. Several months ago I bought a new Dell which came with XP MCE and added it to my home LAN. I can’t tell if there are any differences between machines and I’ve not regretted buying the machine with XP MCE, rather than XP Pro. I’ve really never experienced having a machine with XP Home, so I don’t know how significant the “real” differences are. Personally, even though I too don’t need all that TV stuff, I wouldn’t hesitate to buy a machine with MCE unless you “really” get down to nuts and bolts of the Pro version and HAVE to have it.

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Thanks for the links – there is one remaining question I see –
Multi / dual processor support – the chart shows Pro as having multi processor support but not home edition. No comments are made about the Media Center edition.

All of the newer boxes offer Intel or AMD dual processor support – I understand this is not same as true multiprocessor support, but does provide some of the benefits of multiple threads. I am assuming that media center has the support – since all of the new boxes seem to have the dual processors with the media center support. Is this a valid assumption?

Has anything been announced about a migration path to Vista from Media center? I am assuming that by the time the users have debugged Vista – there will be a migration path to Vista, but I could be all wet. Don’t want to wind up with another version of “Millenium”.

At this point I am guessing that Media Center will work out ok for me – based on my plans to stay with a single large box rather than a network. Who knows I might someday want to watch a football game while playing solitaire.

Tom

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This is an OBTW comment about new boxes at Circuit City – everything (desktop) on the floor is Media Center (Scottsdale AZ store). I talked to a clerk about modifying stuff and he said “sure – go to our web site” – I did and could not find anything about how to specify requirements. I sent an email asking if I could specify requirements for an order and the reply below is what I got back.

“Thank you for writing to http://www.circuitcity.com

I understand that you wish to know whether you can order the PC that
differed from the specifications of the ones offered in the store.

Please note that, you will not be able to order the PC that differed
from the specifications of the ones offered in the store. I apologize
for any inconvenience that this situation may cause.

If we can be of further help, just send us an email or call us toll-free
at (800) 843-2489.”

Evidently – What you see is what you get.

Tom

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That’s one of the reasons people buy Dell – what you get can be configured largely as you want!

John

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First, I should tell you that if you reply to your own post rather than to the post of the Lounger who responded to your post, they will not receive an email notification that you replied and will not know, unless the revisit the thread or their control panel. It will help us to help you more efficiently if you do it this way. Thanks.

As to the issue of ordering a PC from a big box store like Circuit City; they all have “deals” with the manufacturers to configure all the systems they sell to their specs so that they can make their claims in their ads. Like lowest price on a Windows Media PC ever. If you read the fine print in the ad there is a disclaimer about this price only applying to this configuration. And since they are the only one licenced by the OEM to have a box configured just that way, their claim will stand up legally and they won’t chang the configuration for love or money. It’s all about marketing.

As John said, buy a Dell (and even that will have some junk you may or may not want and might have to remove) or have one built just for you by a local shop. If you go with the local shop be cautious who you choose. Many use junk parts or bootleg parts from China that are inferior or fail quickly, or worse, bootleg or cracked software that you can’t update or register.

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