Windows XP has a special place in history, yet is no longer suitable for modern use outside of an isolated VM environment. However, it remains a fascinating look at technology’s rapid evolution.
Codenamed Neptune, it succeeded Windows 2000 and was the first consumer edition not based on MS-DOS or the older Windows NT kernel. It included a new security model with product activation and anti-piracy features.
Windows XP Home Edition
With Windows XP Home Edition, you’ll find all the features to manage digital photos, play and create music and videos and build your own personal home network. A new visual design and reliable Windows engine combine with Internet security and sharing capabilities to make this Microsoft’s most advanced consumer operating system yet.
It also includes Media Center functionality that lets you watch and record TV, play high-definition video, and enjoy your favorite movies and music with the touch of a finger. To maximize performance, the system requires a Pentium II-300 or faster processor and 128MB of memory or more.
A version for embedded systems, called Windows XP Embedded (abbreviated as XPe), is designed to run on devices such as consumer electronics, set-top boxes, kiosks/ATMs and medical equipment. It is binary identical to XP Professional and supports the full Windows API, but is componentized so that original equipment manufacturers can select only the parts needed for their devices.
Windows XP Media Center Edition
Microsoft designed this edition to blend your PC with your television and entertainment system. With a simple remote control, your family can view digital photos, record TV, play music and videos, and access the Internet.
A key feature for families is the ability to shuffle photos in folders or across your entire library and create a dazzling slideshow with background music. For example, you could combine digital photos of your Caribbean vacation with the beat of a reggae album to relive the experience.
The underlying Windows desktop is also updated in this version to give it a unique and stylish look that reflects the premium nature of the operating system. A new visual style called Royale (Energy Blue) is the default, and each menu item features icons for oft-used functions.
In addition to traditional consumer electronics, Windows XP Media Center Edition is used in set-top boxes, kiosks/ATMs, medical devices and point-of-sale terminals. It can even run Linux applications.
Windows XP Professional
Although retail sales of Windows XP were discontinued in 2008, it remains one of the most popular operating systems to ever be used. As of 2018, XP still runs on more than 500 million computers worldwide.
The Professional edition is ideal for users who want more control over their system, including the ability to install and run a wide variety of applications. The Pro version also includes a remote assistance tool for helping troubleshoot and repair PCs that aren’t on the same network.
For home use, a cheaper edition called Windows XP Starter Edition is available. This edition has some unique limitations to prevent it from displacing the more expensive business versions. For example, the Starter edition supports only a maximum of three applications at once, and it requires a screen resolution of 800 by 600 pixels or lower. Moreover, the Starter edition has restrictions on memory and disk space. Lastly, the Starter edition can only be installed on low-end processors such as Intel’s Celeron and AMD’s Duron and Sempron.
Windows XP 64-bit Professional
XP Professional, or Pro for short, was geared towards the business user with added security features and administrative capabilities. It also supports remote desktop services and has the ability to connect to a domain-based network. It can support up to two physical processors, and up to 64 logical processors (also known as cores).
A version of XP designed for a 64 bit environment was also released. This edition, called Windows XP 64-bit Edition, was developed to run on processors that support the 64 bit extensions to the x86 IA-32 architecture (also known as EM64T or AMD64).
This allowed up to 4 gigabytes of memory to be addressed and provides significant performance improvements for applications that are ported to, or written specifically for 64 bit systems. Many computers that were sold at the time of XP 64-bit’s release came with this version preinstalled. Some examples of these include: kiosks/ATMs, point of sale terminals, and medical devices.