Introducing the Windows XP Family

As mentioned earlier,Windows XP represents the combination of the best aspects of several versions of Windows.Windows 9x and Me were known for their Plug and Play (PnP) capabilities, their multimedia capabilities, and their home user “friendliness.”Windows 2000 is known for its security features, its robustness, and its business-class performance.Windows XP takes the best from both of these operating systems.

You can choose from two different flavors of Windows XP:Windows XP Home Edition and Windows XP Professional.The two versions have a large number of similarities. All versions of Windows XP (including the .NET servers) are built on the Windows 2000 code base. However, each has a place in the market—Windows XP Home Edition is designed to replace Windows 98 and Me in the home environment, and Windows XP Professional is meant to succeed Windows 2000 in the office. Let’s take a closer look at what each of these versions brings to the table.