Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition FULL VERSION with SP2 | 
| From: Microsoft Software
List Price: $199.00
Buy New: $119.00
You Save: $80.00 (40%)
New (35) Used (8) from $105.99
Rating:  80 reviews
Sales Rank: 28
Format: Cd-rom
Platforms: Windows 95, Windows Xp
Color: 1-user
Media: CD-ROM
Edition: Full Version with SP2
Autographed: No
Memorabilia: No
Number Of Items: 1
Batteries Included: No
Operating System: Windows 95
Shipping Weight (lbs): 2
Dimensions (in): 9.7 x 7.9 x 2
MPN: n09-00984
Model: N09-00984
UPC: 805529831414
EAN: 0805529831414
ASIN: B00022PTRU
Release Date: September 28, 2004
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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| Features:
| • | Operating system features - | | • | Create and enjoy home movies with the built-in Video support | | • | Share your video project with the easy E-mail attachment & mass-mailing features | | • | Go Mobile with the ability to Communicate anytime, anywhere | | • | Discover and Download online music, with the easy-to-use Internet features |
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Product Description
Windows XP Home makes it easy to use your Computer for those Personal projects you enjoy. Service Packs round up the bug fixes and product updates you need for operating more smoothly. This Service Pack bridges the gaps between the original software and user requests more fully, responding to customer wishes -- and making XP even better. Share your home computing resources with simple-to-use Networking tools Service Pack features - Security Center offers a central control system for your Windows XP security -- work with the firewalls, auto updates and antivirus tools Great news for people sick of pop-up ads - The built-in pop-up blocker controls them, with a new submenu and status bar icons New Add-Ons manager gives you instant access to all the Browser Helper Objects and extensions, enabling and disabling them easily Firewall now has its own control panel Enhancements to the Windows Update service make installing new updates easy Wireless Networking - Multiple wireless connections to choose from
Amazon Product Description
With Windows XP Home Edition with Service Pack 2, you get safer browsing and communication, powerful security tools, and improved experiences. Packed with multimedia features, Windows XP Home Edition with Service Pack 2 aims to unlock the full potential of your personal computer. It also looks great, with rounded window corners, larger and more detailed icons, and a clean-look desktop. | 
The Security Center lets you check the status of your essential security settings. | The best thing about Windows XP is that, because it belongs to the Windows NT/2000 product family, it's designed from the ground up for reliability, security, and networking. XP Home users will soon see the benefits of this. The dreaded Windows crash-and-reboot cycle really is much less common with XP, and, provided the hardware is up to scratch, XP's performance is better, too. The downside is that using a different code base can make compatibility with old applications less assured. Business applications normally run fine, but older games, MIDI software, and system utilities may well cause problems. Windows XP is more customizable than previous versions, including its visual themes that let you change the whole appearance of Windows in an instant. Fast User Switching is a neat feature for computers used by more than one person--it lets another user log on without killing the previous user's session, and when you switch back, running applications and open documents are as you left them. This is impressive, but what really counts is that XP understands how to deal with multiple users. Each user has their own special folders, such as My Documents, which cannot be seen by other users. And for those with more than one computer, the network setup wizard simplifies setting up a network. |
| Windows XP Home has many strong multimedia features. New Media Player lets you copy music from CD to hard disk, create your own playlist, and write your own music CDs if you have a CD writer. You can also play back DVD-Video (but only if a hardware or software DVD decoder is already installed) and play MP3 audio files and MPEG videos (but sadly not the popular RealMedia formats). Admittedly, Media Player does nothing that you cannot also do with free alternatives, but it is slick and nicely integrated. There is also Windows Movie Maker, a basic tool for capturing and editing videos that's fun to use, although too limited for serious work. | 
The Information Bar in Windows XP Home Edition with Service Pack 2 notifies you when it blocks ActiveX control or active content and then lets you decide what to do.
| For Web browsing, XP Home comes with Internet Explorer 6.0 and MSN Explorer. The most significant new feature for Internet users is the built-in firewall. A firewall protects against one of the most disturbing security risks, in which other users unknown to you might connect to your computer while it is online, reading private files or causing other damage. XP's built-in firewall is a simple affair, but it does prevent most types of unauthorized connections. 
Service Pack 2 allows users to instruct Internet Explorer how to handle downloads from a specific publisher | The XP user interface is not a radical departure from earlier versions of Windows, but there are a number of small changes that together add up to a significant improvement. For example, you can add and remove shortcuts from the Start menu by right-clicking on the icon and selecting Pin or Unpin from the pop-up menu. Windows online help is integrated into a Help and Support Center that works like an internal Web site, with searchable help, tutorials, and walkthroughs. Laptop or other flat-screen users can set Windows to use ClearType for screen fonts, for a more readable display. There are, of course, some pitfalls. Windows XP Home is demanding on hardware, and it would be a mistake to install it on less than Microsoft's recommended minimum. Business users note: unlike Windows 98 or Me, XP Home Edition cannot join a Windows server domain, so the networking is peer-to-peer only--see Windows XP Professional Edition for this functionality. There is also no multiprocessor support, and a mildly annoying anti-piracy measure requires you to obtain a code from Microsoft for full installation and any future system changes. But don't let that put you off: this is Microsoft's best Windows yet. | Windows XP Service Pack 2 Features | Internet Explorer Pop-up Blocker | Makes browsing the Internet more enjoyable by enabling you to reduce unwanted ads and content. | | Internet Explorer download monitoring | Warns you about potentially harmful downloads and gives you the option to block files that could be malicious. | | Internet Explorer Information Bar | Provides better information about events that are happening as you browse the Web, so it’s easier to know what’s going on and address potential security issues. | | Windows Security Center | Allows you to easily view your security status and manage key security settings in one convenient place. | | Windows Firewall update | Automatically turned on by default, this improved firewall helps protect Windows XP from viruses, worms, and other security threats that can spread over the Internet. | | Improved wireless support | Dramatically improves and simplifies the process of discovering and connecting to wireless networks. | | Bluetooth technologies | Enables you to easily connect to the latest Bluetooth-enabled hardware devices such as keyboards, cell phones, and PDAs. | | Windows Media Player 9 Series | Makes it easy to enjoy music, video, and broadband content with enhanced security. |
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| Customer Reviews: Read 75 more reviews...
 $200 for a second-rate OS..? June 9, 2006
Gordon M. Wagner (Suburbia)
212 out of 358 found this review helpful
I bought a $200 copy of Windows XP to run on my new iMac with an Intel CPU -- my kids have been agitating for years for a PC to play PC games on. The day before the box from Amazon arrived I'd set up the new iMac and loaded the OS and got everything set up, so the comparison between the elegant and refined Mac OS and MS's XP was stark. Very stark.
There's really no comparing the two systems -- the Mac is beautiful and functional, Windows reminds me of a line from a Tom Clancy novel, when the young sailor boards a Soviet submarine and is astounded at how primitive the technology is and exclaims "MEGA-KLUDGE TO THE MAX!" That's how I felt. Windows is a mess, a second-rate rip off of the Mac OS.
Once I'd prepped my iMac to load XP I was shocked to see an ANSI screen as Windows loaded itself -- ANSI? Like 1980s computing ANSI?! Help! The iMac installation was BEAUTIFUL and elegant, absolutely seamless with NO SLOP or rough edges. Windows is pathetic. I'm irritated that it cost so much and gives me so little. I cannot believe that people would choose Windows over the Mac OS -- incomprehensible! I remember using Windows 1.0, 2.0, 3.0 and 3.11 back in the day. And not being impressed. Windows XP is STILL clunky and it STILL feels rickety. Is this really the best OS they can come up with?
OK, my kids can now play PC games and I can run Quicken on the PC side of things if I want to -- other than that, I'd say save your money and buy a Mac. Windows is a cheap imitation of the Mac. And overpriced, I must say.
A couple weeks later: if you enjoy puzzles and nonlinear thinking and interfaces, then this product may be exactly what you've always wished for.
 Windows XP is stable, won't crash is great for plug & play January 22, 2005
Charles Bittner (Seacoast New Hampshire)
175 out of 188 found this review helpful
If you're reading this. You're thinking of buying Windows XP home edition here are a few things to keep in mind.
First thing is, you might be able to get away with buying just the upgrade edition. The upgrade edition allows you to do a full install. It just asks you for the CD of a previous version of Windows. Also remember you can download service pack two from the Windows update web site. So no need to buy it integrated with XP.
These are what I consider the minimum system requirements:
256 MB of RAM. I have found is adequate more equals better.
500 MHz or higher will do.
7200 rpm hard drive will help a lot.
If you're running Windows millennium edition, or 98 upgrade now the stability is vastly improved. Gone are the blue screens of death.
Frequently asked question: is Windows XP Pro better than home edition?
Windows XP Pro has a more high-end networking features that most home users will never miss or would even know were missing. So for most users Windows home edition is fine. They both are based on the same code and are almost identical.
If you're thinking of upgrading from Windows 2000, I did, because I like the GUI interface better. But Windows XP is as stable as Windows 2000. So it's your call.
The plug-and-play ability of Windows XP is totally great! Windows XP will by default find most drivers for video card sound cards, network cards, etc. that is such a bonus gone in the days of having to search for CDs with drivers.
I recommend upgrading to Windows XP be it professional or home edition. It is a great operating system
Have some fun and get it done
MacBook Intel Ready August 20, 2006
E. Maddox (Alexandria VA)
44 out of 64 found this review helpful
I needed this for my new MacBook laptop that will give me Apple and Windows on the same machine. The laptop works fine, the pocketbook is thinner. You do what you have to do;
 Buy a Mac, save your sanity! June 13, 2006
MCOjerry (Orlando, FL United States)
32 out of 66 found this review helpful
I used to ow a PC...I work with PCs all day at work. I've used every version of this lousy OS that's been released, up to and including, Windoze XP
Now, I come home to my Mac (2nd one I have personally owned) and know what a REAL OS is supposed to be.
Unless you have specific programs that don't have Mac compatible versions, you really have no reason to buy a PC. Seriously. Why anyone would, with all the porly built versions of Windoze, is beyond me.
Anyway, if you REALLY must have Windoze...you can put it on a Mac now. You will have the ability to shut the damn thing off and move on over the wonderfully put together OS X when you don't want to deal with it anymore.
Please people, get a Mac and teach Bill Gates to either make a good product or don't bother.
All I have to say is that with a Mac, you can forget about CTRL ALT DELETE!
Absolutely Horrific August 20, 2005
Grendel (Reykjavik, Island)
31 out of 41 found this review helpful
Windows XP (both Home and Professional editions) are absolutely horrific. I say this especially with the introduction of Service Pack 2, which makes the software even worse. First and foremost, Windows XP requires that you have a lot of RAM and video memory, simply to display its overly-graphical interface. This shouldn't be a very big deal, considering that most modern computers are equipped with requirements necessary to run it. However, Windows XP is not suitable for older computers, or computers with any less than 256 MB of RAM, and low video memory. (Though it will technically run, it will be very laggy.)
The software, which is full of security holes and risks, will likely require you to reformat every 30 or so days. (Assuming that you do not have the sufficient virus protection available to block the many viruses developed purely to abuse the security holes found exclusively in Windows XP.) However, to counter this, Microsoft has developed Service Pack 2, which is an utter nightmare. Service Pack 2 adds a built-in firewall (improvement) and virus-blocking feature, which runs in the background at all times. Whenever you attempt to download something, or execute certain files, you will always be faced with the firewall asking for confirmation. This can become rather annoying. The worst part about the service pack is that it attempts to prevent piracy by not allowing you to install certain software. i.e., you will not be allowed to install, or run, Alcohol 120%. (Or other versions.) Any attempt to do so will cause your system to crash, leading you to the 'blue screen of death.' (Something that has no business appearing in Windows XP.)
The detault software settings have the Windows Messenger utility enabled, which means that advertisers will constantly spam you with pop-ups which cannot be blocked. (Unless you know how to turn the feature off, or unless you specify for you firewall to block it from being contacted.) Many people have taken advantage of this by developing patches which turn the feature off, but they charge you to use it. In actuality, anybody can turn it off. It's a simple matter of going through your control panel, into your administrative tools, and disabling the feature there. However, nobody is expected to be computer literate enough to do so.
This time around, Microsoft has decided to bundle spyware with Windows. Though you can remove it with any standard spyware scanner, it is still an annoyance.
Microsoft has also decided to add a 'Product Activation' tool, which forces you to go online and validate your product key with Microsoft. There are a limited number of times in which you may do this, meaning that you can only reformat your computer so many times before your key expires. At this time, you have to pay Microsoft $10 for a new product key.
Lastly, Microsoft has done nothing to improve Internet Explorer, or any of its other built-in software. You are stuck with the same, tabless version of IE, which still has all the same security flaws as before -- if not more.
I would much rather stick with Windows 2000, or Windows NT Workstation 4.0, than Windows XP.
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