History of XP

Both Windows 2000 and XP have been built on the 32 bit Windows NT kernel, whilst Windows 98 and ME have both evolved from the 16 bit Windows 95 kernel (Windows98 and ME are now 32bit OS's.)

Historically, Windows 95 was designed to focus on "consumer" users running games, spreadsheets, word processors and internet browsing - whilst Windows NT, had its background more in the "corporate" arena for use in business networks and IT.

Generally speaking, NT has always been considered to be the more robust and reliable operating system.

Microsoft have obviously made the decision to market the Windows XP operating system, as an "all-singing-all-dancing" solution for all levels. This is why there is both a "Home" version and a "Professional" version, of what is essentially the same 32bit operating system. Some features have been "crippled" or removed in the Home edition that appear in the professional edition.

Which Version of XP?(Home or Professional)

The decision between buying XP Home or XP Professional is actually a very simple one to make. Follow this Microsoft link for a direct comparison.

If you require SMP support (dual processor), then you'll need to go for the XP Professional edition. The Home edition does not offer this functionality.

If your computer is going to be used within an NT network domain environment, then you'll need the XP Professional edition. However, the home edition still has "peer to peer" networking, so you'll still be able to connect XP computers over a "home" network.

There are other more subtle differences between the two versions, including file level rights in the professional edition (requires NTFS) and the missing backup program in the Home Edition (TIP - you can actually find the backup program on the Home edition CD in the \VALUEADD\MSFT\NTBACKUP directory!!)

The configuration tool (gpedit.msc) is only available in the professional version.

The table below shows the feature comparisons between the two versions.

Product Activation

All retail versions of Windows XP require product activation after a 30 day grace period. If you try to use XP after the grace period, it will only give you the option to activate and will not allow you to do anything else until you have activated.

Activation is carried out over the internet or by speaking to someone over the phone. There is also an automated touch-tone method. This is an anti-piracy measure by Microsoft.

If you're still worried or require more information, then try this link, which has a white paper about the guts of WPA.

Why Tune Windows XP for Audio Applications?

You certainly don't need to tune and tweak Windows XP for audio applications, but you can achieve better overall performance if you do.

XP requires less tuning for audio applications than previous Windows operating systems. In fact, XP delivers excellent audio performance without changing anything.

However, with all Windows OS's, there are many features and functions that are quite simply not required. Excessive graphic activity, system maintenance functions, background tasks and automated hardware management tools, all contribute to the large number of unnecessary features that can be trimmed down to suit an audio PC (DAW - Digital Audio Workstation).

In addition to trimming down unnecessary XP features, it is also possible to adjust the priority and cycle length of CPU usage to suit the requirements of an audio computer.

Windows operating systems have always been designed to be "multi-tasking" operating systems. This basically means that many programs/applications can be running simultaneously, and the operating system will automatically distribute processor power and other relevant resources to each process in turn.

The reality is that a single processor computer can only really perform one task at a time, but the speed at which it operates can give the illusion that it is doing many things at once, i.e. "multi-tasking".

For serious audio applications, we would normally only ever run one application (the audio/MIDI sequencer) at a time. The main focus of an audio computer is to reliably process and stream digital audio and MIDI data in perfect sync. All other functions, including mouse input, keyboard input and graphic activity should all take second priority over the audio and MIDI processing functions.

So, this is why it is advisable to perform certain "tweaks" to the setup of XP to make it more "audio friendly". It is worth noting that tuning an audio PC can also eliminate problems, i.e. crackles during screen/mouse activity.