Chapter twenty one. Using Windows XP on Portable PCs

IN THIS CHAPTER

Improving Your Display with ClearType 398

Optimizing Battery Life 399

Connecting Two PCs with a Direct Network Connection 403

Controlling Another Computer with Remote Desktop Connection 405

Using Briefcase to Synchronize Files 407

Working with Offline Files 409

The Bottom Line 411

Windows XP includes several new or improved features that should be of interest to portable computer users. These features make it easier to see what you're doing, maximize how long your batteries last, and help you share and synchronize files with your home PC or network. There's even a new remote desktop feature included with Windows XP Professional (not Home, sorry) that lets you access your desktop PC when you're on the road.

These features may be little things, but sometimes the little things add up.

Take ClearType, for example. It's a little thing, hardly mentioned in Microsoft's marketing materials and buried a few layers deep in the Display Properties dialog box. But this feature improves the typical laptop display so much I can't even describe it. It's like somebody adjusted the fine-tuning control on my screen, automatically smoothing all the jagged edges a little thing, but a big impact.

The only issue I find with XP's mobile features is that too many of them aren't available in the Home Edition. Two of the most useful new features, Remote Desktop Connection and offline files, are only available on Windows XP Professional. That might make some sense, as XP Professional is targeted to corporations, where the majority of road warriors work. But a lot of home and small business users have portable PCs, and they might not want to spend the extra money for XP Professional. (They probably don't need all the advanced networking and security features, either.)

So if you're a heavy notebook user, examine the Professional-only mobile features, and decide for yourself whether you can live with the Home Edition, or need to spring for XP Professional.