Which Win xp with Bootcamp?

[Luis Ortega]

I plan to get a Mac Pro after Leopard comes out and also have a Windows setup on its own hard drive.
I see that there is now Win XP Pro SP2, 2B and 2C, and up to SP2 with XP Home.
Which is the most compatible/stable with Leopard and Bootcamp? (I don't want to use Vista.)
Does Apple recommend any particular version?
Thanks for any advice.

 

[VideoFreek]

SP2 is mandatory, whether you choose the Home or Pro version.

With SP2, the differences between the A, B and C variations are insignificant and not worth worrying about; it is not entirely clear what changed in the B version, but it may have introduced some changes Microsoft needed to make because of various lawsuits. The C version was introduced only because Microsoft was running out of product keys! See more info here.

As for Home vs. Pro, you need to research the differences and see if you require any of the features in Pro. Home is a subset of Pro, which means there is nothing in Home that's NOT available in Pro. You can read a pretty good overview of the differences here. Either version will run the same on your mac in terms of stability, etc. However, in your case, since you plan to get a Mac Pro, you may want to pay attention to multiprocessor support. The Home edition doesn't support multiple processor sockets, although it will support a single processor with multiple cores (dual or quad). So, if you plan to configure your Mac Pro with, for example, two dual-core processors (4 cores total), you'll want XP Pro to take maximum advantage of your hardware.

 

[Luis Ortega]

SP2 is mandatory, whether you choose the Home or Pro version.

With SP2, the differences between the A, B and C variations are insignificant and not worth worrying about; it is not entirely clear what changed in the B version, but it may have introduced some changes Microsoft needed to make because of various lawsuits. The C version was introduced only because Microsoft was running out of product keys! See more info here.

As for Home vs. Pro, you need to research the differences and see if you require any of the features in Pro. Home is a subset of Pro, which means there is nothing in Home that's NOT available in Pro. You can read a pretty good overview of the differences here. Either version will run the same on your mac in terms of stability, etc. However, in your case, since you plan to get a Mac Pro, you may want to pay attention to multiprocessor support. The Home edition doesn't support multiple processor sockets, although it will support a single processor with multiple cores (dual or quad). So, if you plan to configure your Mac Pro with, for example, two dual-core processors (4 cores total), you'll want XP Pro to take maximum advantage of your hardware.

Thanks.
I have loads of experience with all sorts of Windows but I wasn't sure which was needed for using on an Intel Mac and Bootcamp. I already have a full xp pro sp2 so it's good to know I won't need to go and buy a 'b' or 'c' version.

 

[TheStu]

Thanks.
I have loads of experience with all sorts of Windows but I wasn't sure which was needed for using on an Intel Mac and Bootcamp. I already have a full xp pro sp2 so it's good to know I won't need to go and buy a 'b' or 'c' version.

Well if you already have a copy then you should be fine. You might have to run some updates, but who doesn't after an install?