Page #205 (Microsoft Windows XP Inside Out,Introducing Windows XP)

Windows XP brings together two product families that were previously separate and decidedly unequal. From Windows 2000, it inherits a reliable, generally crash-proof foundation. It adds a host of user-friendly features and system utilities that were previously available only in Windows 98 or Windows Me. For good measure, it tosses in some interface enhancements and new capabilities that were previously available only as third-party add-ins.

Most importantly, Windows XP comes in two distinctly different versions:

• Windows XP Home Edition. This budget-priced versionis typically bundled with consumer PCs sold for use in homes and very small businesses. It's intended for nontechnical users who don't need to connect to corporate networks and don't want to fuss with complicated system and security options. It's compatible with any desktop or notebook PC that has a single CPU and a single video display.
• Windows XP Professional. This version includes everything in the Home Edition, plus all the networking and security components required to join a Windows NT/2000/XP domain. If your system configuration includes certain types of high-performance hardware, such as a dual-processor motherboard, you'll need Windows XP Professional to fully utilize it.

Before you read any further, check to see which version of Windows XP is installed on your PC. Open Control Panel's System option and look on the General tab. Figure 1-1 shows what you should expect to see if you're running the initial release of Windows XP Professional. If you've installed a service pack, you'll see its details here, too. (You can read more details about the differences between Windows XP Home Edition and Professional later in this chapter.)

Figure 1-1. The System Properties dialog box supplies detailed information about your Windows version and your hardware configuration.

Get fast access to system settings You don't have to pass through Control Panel to get to the System Properties dialog box. Hold down the Windows logo key and press Break to open this handy dialog box immediately. No Windows logo key? Create a shortcut to Sysdm.cpl (you'll find it in the %SystemRoot%\System32 folder) and place it anywhere in the Programs menu. Then open the shortcut's properties dialog box and assign it an easy-to-remember keyboard shortcut such as Ctrl+Alt+Shift+S.

Windows XP Professional is a massive collection of code that tries to be all things to all people, from performance-obsessed gamers to buttoned-down corporate executives and spreadsheet jockeys. For the most part, it succeeds. In this book, we cover a broad range of tasks that a well-rounded Windows XP user might tackle at home or at work.