XP Professional vs Corporate

Two questions for the XP people....are the Professional and Corporate versions the same?? Also, does the Corporate version require an activation? I have a debate going with someone over this issue and appreciate your assistance.

 

The only difference?

Oh, so the only difference between Corp and Pro is that Pro requires activation. Thanks for the informative and QUICK response, Steve.

 

Spot on!

 

"Corporate" is only available in the Pro version, does not require WPA, and usually requires purchasing "licenses" for 5 or more computers, so there is a difference in "price ". "XP Upgrade" for anyone who is confused, means you get a complete disk, but must verify that you have a legit copy of a previous version of Windows during the install. This is probably the cheapest way to get XP, and available in both flavors, Home and Pro. "OEM" (Other Equipment Manufacturer) has NO MS Support, and usually has "Restore Disks ", which are not the same as a full MS CD, because they are loaded with other software the manufacturer has decided you should have. Often, these are for XP Home.

The terminology can be kind of confusing. Hope this helps.

Johanna

 

Thanks

Thanks for explaining...appreciate it.

 

Actually, Johanna, from Webopedia:

OEM

(pronounced as separate letters) Short for original equipment manufacturer, which is a misleading term for a company that has a special relationship with computer producers. OEMs buy computers in bulk and customize them for a particular application. They then sell the customized computer under their own name. The term is really a misnomer because OEMs are not the original manufacturers -- they are the customizers.

 

I was about to correct Johanna regarding OEM, but you did it perfectly Abraxas, and yes it is a little bit of a misnomer.

 

Thank you both, I stand corrected. Please don't tell my kids, or they will add it to the list of all the other things wrong that I did today. ( "No, kids, you may not have chocolate ice cream for supper... ")

Johanna

 

I've also heard it called Optional Eqiupment Manufacturer.