xp big brother is watching

[jap]

I am planing to switch to xp home edition.I remembered to read somewhere that in xp there is more ways to example compared to w2k to bee watched by microsoft of the things you do in generaly like what you do in internet is this true in anyway.Cause also there was same kinda story about Intel and it's pentium 4(the main code in the processor or something like that) before it came out and there were no diffrence compared to the older models.How about if im using the same winxp in bouth of our computers without a second license can i get in trouble.Now when i haved switched from a modem to a DSL i have had couple of thras mails and almost every site is fulled with popups and you hear the stories that somebody it watching you and a nother person is using your connection.Iam propably paranoid or anyway coming to one but i want to be anonymous.
I read from some magasize that professional is faster than home edition is this true or false
and are there any diffrences between of those two.
What benefits do i get from switching from w2k to xp?speed?reliability?anything?

[Phaedrus]

Personally i wouldnt switch from 2k to XP home. XPPro annd 2k are essentially the same animal, XP just has a few more bells and whistles and a nifty new fisher price look. XP home edition though is not as robust as WIN2k. As far as using the same liscence on two different computers, this is illegal, but beyond that it probably will not work, you wont be able to activate the second copy with the same key.

Proper use of a firewall and ativirus, goes a long way to keeping you fairly "safe" from the cesspool we call the net(lovingly of course).

[Steel Chicken]

the only advantage XP has over 2K that I would consider relevant is Hyper threading. XP is fully HT aware where as 2k isn't. bencheis show 2k slows with HT, XP usually increases.

Since I dont use Intel, dont matter to me

id sell my soul if MS re-compiled 2K with AMD64 support...
thats the only reason I intend to migrate when XP-64 is released...

[djnes]

I'd say speed, reliability, and compatibility if you switch to XP. XP is the common platform now. All apps and drivers (that a home user would need) are written and tested primarily on XP right now. I am sure they test other versions of Windows, but XP is definitely the focus. It's also newer (which isn't always a plus), but it means the support life will be much longer than 2000. From my experience, XP is the best Windows version all around, and I wouldn't consider using anythign else at this point. The activation thing is a pain, but since I use my corporate version, I don't have to bother with it.

[jap]

The activation thing is a pain, but since I use my corporate version, I don't have to bother with it.
what do you mean what activation?in the install phase or ..

[lomn75]

There is no Microsoft conspiracy theory. Also, line breaks are good.

Anyway...
You cannot legally run one copy of (any) MS OS on more than one machine.
Activation is painless. Click the button and *poof* done. If absolutely necessary, call the 1-800 number and after 5 mintues, *poof* done.
Home vs Pro: http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/pro/howtobuy/choosing2.mspx
I'm sure the MS site also has an XP vs 2K page.
Home vs Pro speed: only if you have a dual-processor rig.

Anonymity / spyware / etc: all valid concerns, but in no way related to your OS. Check the "Rampant Paranoia 101" in Net/Sec for info.

[Phoenix86]

The new security features of SP2 may be a valid reason to make the switch. Current plans do no show MS is giving things like the firewall, IE InfoBar, or pop-up blocker to any other platform other than WXP.

[djnes]

what do you mean what activation?in the install phase or ..

As in what you have to do with a non-corporate copy of XP. You may choose to do it during the install or later. Don't tell me your going to sit and criticize XP if your not even familiar enough with it to know what activation is.

[Moto Guzzi]

I am mildely paranoid, and use the following and never had a virus or attacked, and never re-formatted on this PC[3.5 years].

:mad: :mad: :mad:

1-Spybot 1.3[Free]
2-Adaware SE 1.5 [Free]
3-Startup Monitor[Free]
4-Privacy Defender & popup blocker[Pay....A very nifty program cleaning out internet history etc....I use it evry hour]
5-Norton AV + SW + NIS 2004 [Paye]
6-I also use both firewalls with SP2......I just don't see how I get attacked[Blocked] in Norton Firewall logs, but thats OK., proving XP-SP2 blocks them.

I found since Norton 2004, Spybot and Adaware rarely find something

[Direwolf20]

Norton's firewall lost my faith a few years ago when I installed it on my 98 PC.

I had zonealarm, and it was blocking a few things, but nothing major. Then I removed it and installed a copy of Norton's that I baught. It was blocking Hundreds. I said :eek: "Holy Crap!".

I watched for 2 days as it kept blocking stuff. Then one day I had to remove my network cable to do something. It kept blocking "incoming" connections. After questioning for a moment where they could be coming in from, I decided Norton's firewall was full of crap and uninstalled it. Then I put Zonealarm back.

[Steel Chicken]

I watched for 2 days as it kept blocking stuff. Then one day I had to remove my network cable to do something. It kept blocking "incoming" connections. After questioning for a moment where they could be coming in from, I decided Norton's firewall was full of crap and uninstalled it. Then I put Zonealarm back.

thats awesome, you'd think they would at least bother to check if the cable is plugged in, i know you can do that easily in 2k and XP, mabye thats harder to do in 98

hahahah still funny
ROFL

[jap]

Don't tell me your going to sit and criticize XP if your not even familiar enough with it to know what activation is.
Well its a free world isnt it? Anyways i wasent criticizing Xp or Microsoft or Intel but i havent used Xp ever or had to install it so that's why i didnt know what is this activation.

[djnes]

Well its a free world isnt it? Anyways i wasent criticizing Xp or Microsoft or Intel but i havent used Xp ever or had to install it so that's why i didnt know what is this activation.


It certainly is a free world where you can spend as much time you want comparing OSes without ever bothering to research or read anything about it. You must not have been in the computer world very long, because it would be hard to be on these forums and not see any info about activation. Even my fiancee has discussed this policy with me...several times. And, when really in doubt, there's always google:

http://www.microsoft.com/piracy/activation.mspx

[jap]

t certainly is a free world where you can spend as much time you want comparing OSes without ever bothering to research or read anything about it. You must not have been in the computer world very long, because it would be hard to be on these forums and not see any info about activation. Even my fiancee has discussed this policy with me...several times. And, when really in doubt, there's always google:
well what can i say some of us have a life.

[Phoenix86]

OK, so you "havent used Xp ever or had to install it", yet title the thread with the flamatory remark "xp big brother is watching."

:rolleyes:

[Ice Czar]

Personally i wouldnt switch from 2k to XP home. XPPro annd 2k are essentially the same animal, XP just has a few more bells and whistles and a nifty new fisher price look. XP home edition though is not as robust as WIN2k. As far as using the same liscence on two different computers, this is illegal, but beyond that it probably will not work, you wont be able to activate the second copy with the same key.

Proper use of a firewall and ativirus, goes a long way to keeping you fairly "safe" from the cesspool we call the net(lovingly of course).

here is a list of the actual differences (Kernal Improvements)
http://www.tomax7.com/winxp/Windows%20XP%20Paper.doc
and in html
http://64.233.167.104/search?q=cache:jNevOd2fktQJ:www.tomax7.com/winxp/Windows%2520XP%2520Paper.doc
by Mark Russinovich and David Solomon (Windows .NET magazine)


I am mildely paranoid, and use the following and never had a virus or attacked, and never re-formatted on this PC[3.5 years].


speaking for the tinfoil wearing full blown paranoids
Id add, "that your aware of" :p
> http://hardforum.com/showthread.php?t=815882

[bountyhunter]

if you have an oem copy of xp (or any windows) you can pile it on to as many machines as you want(illegal doesn't mean you can't do it)...............

there's no way in hell I'd pay for the same crap twice, let alone once...............

[lomn75]

bounty, you'll want to edit that out. Illegal is illegal, and sooner or later that's a reality you'll have to face.

[Phoenix86]

if you have an oem copy of xp (or any windows) you can pile it on to as many machines as you want(illegal doesn't mean you can't do it)...............

there's no way in hell I'd pay for the same crap twice, let alone once...............
Y'arr! Looking for a vaccation?

[Steel Chicken]

here is a list of the actual differences (Kernal Improvements)
http://www.tomax7.com/winxp/Windows%20XP%20Paper.doc
and in html
http://64.233.167.104/search?q=cache:jNevOd2fktQJ:www.tomax7.com/winxp/Windows%2520XP%2520Paper.doc
by Mark Russinovich and David Solomon (Windows .NET magazine)
> http://hardforum.com/showthread.php?t=815882

interesting. alot of little changes, but nothing that would effect me much, except for perhaps shorter boot times

[Ice Czar]

interesting. alot of little changes, but nothing that would effect me much, except for perhaps shorter boot times

Im typing from a W2K box, I generally agree w\ Phaedrus
and dont see where its worth the extra investment to upgrade to XP on the desktop

XP 64 Bit Beta and Win2003 however are a different matter
as they have NUMA,
of course youd actually need a workstation heavily populated with RAM for that to matter

so for the dually Opterons and 4GB of RAM I run Suse 9.1 Pro and XP 64 Beta