xp home, professional, or media center?

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CrazyAggie05

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Mar 27, 2006
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howdy all, im going to build a new pc soon. i was wondering waht OS to buy.... does media center or professional run better than home? or have more features? this will be a gaming geared pc, but i will do some work processing, powerpoint, etc. i do have my dell windows xp disc.... i wonder if i could just use that? prolly not, but is it worth trying? what about x64? im going to be building a small for factor pc with an amd x2 dual core 4400+ toledo processor, 2 gig ram, x1800xt...
 
if you plan on using at a multimedia station the get MCE but i do belive all your hardware has to have the "designed for microsoft windows media center edition" logo on it other wise it may not support some option like if you decide to use a TV tuner and the MCE software. Media center is a variation of pro but i think it lacks some networking features such as domain settings or something (someone else may know specifically). All the apps you are going to use or atleast listed should run the same weather pro or home.

If you are going to use x64 edition be prepared for possible lack of hw/sfw driver support. I used to use x64 but some of my burning software was not compatible.

Your dell CD would install on the computer (i have used a dell disc on a non dell machine before) however it will ask you to activate because it will give you a incorrect product key/unauthorized product key message and ask you to input a legit CDKEY the dell one will not work.
 
Unless you're going to use the MCE features I would recommend Home. The added features in Pro you will likely never use.
 
To install MCE...the parts do not need to say "Built for MCE"..

any motherboard will work, any decent proc will work...any mem will work...and optical drive/hard drive will work. I use the onboard sound from my nForce2 motherboard.

where you need to be concerned is the video card and whatever you use for capture. I use a 9700pro...definitely not built for MCE, but works just fine...no problems whatsoever. For capture, I use a Hauppage PVR-150MCE. Obviously...this is built for MCE and I'm glad I went with this card. That's it...that's all you have to worry about with MCE. Oh, and MCE is bascially PRO with some extra media center features.
 
I've got media center on the system I am sitting at right this minute. I have never had a use for them. I guess if you are going to link your computer to an Xbox you would have a use for media center, but otherwise home is the most you should pay for.

You might want to look into Linux. Depending on your skillset, it may or may-not do what you want. Either way it's free to try.
 
Dont buy a new copy of windows. If you had XP on your old dell, DL and burn XP then just use that key. You will not be breaking laws by doing this (just delete xp off the old DL to be completely on the up and up).
 
EricNS said:
Dont buy a new copy of windows. If you had XP on your old dell, DL and burn XP then just use that key. You will not be breaking laws by doing this (just delete xp off the old DL to be completely on the up and up).
Click to expand...
It would be legal, but it wouldn't work...unless it was a Dell OEM copy that he'd download. That's very unlikely, given how restrictive OEM copies can be.
 
CrazyAggie05 said:
why would you need multimedia center to link an xbox?
Click to expand...
You can run an Xbox has a MCE extender, with an add-on kit, I believe.
 
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