Manage updates with the Download App| Remove from comparison | Remove | Remove | Remove | Remove | Remove |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Product name | |||||
| Price | $56 to $151 at 4 stores | $59 to $289 at 5 stores | $109 to $155 at 3 stores | $71 to $309 at 13 stores | $54 to $230 at 17 stores |
| CNET editors' rating | 4.0 stars Excellent | 4.0 stars Excellent | 3.5 stars Very good | 4.5 stars Spectacular | 4.0 stars Excellent |
| Average user rating | 2.5 stars out of 2432 reviews | 3.0 stars out of 201 reviews | 2.0 stars out of 515 reviews | 3.5 stars out of 336 reviews | 2.5 stars out of 197 reviews |
| Release date | January 17, 2003 | January 17, 2003 | January 30, 2007 | October 22, 2009 | October 26, 2012 |
| The Bottom Line | XP is a worthwhile upgrade from 95/98 or Windows 2000. Unless you need corporate administration tools, XP Home Edition should suffice for most--even for small businesses. | Windows Professional boasts serious corporate administration tools--it's a trustworthy upgrade from Windows 2000. | Windows Vista is essentially warmed-over Windows XP. If you're currently happy with Windows XP SP2, we see no compelling reason to upgrade. On the other hand, if you need a new computer right now, Windows Vista is stable enough for everyday use. | Windows 7 is more than what Vista should have been, it's where Microsoft needed to go. How much damage Vista did and whether Windows 7 is enough for people to finally abandon Windows XP are questions that nobody has the answers to right now. | Microsoft makes an aggressive, forward-thinking, and bold statement for the future of PCs with Windows 8, and vast security and speed improvements more than justify the $40 upgrade price. | Basic specs |
| Features | See What's the Same or What's different | ||||
| Packaged Quantity | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| License Qty | 1 user | 1 user | 1 PC | 1 PC | 1 PC |
| Localization | United States Canada | Info unavailable | Info unavailable | Info unavailable | Info unavailable |
| Language(s) | English | English | English | Info unavailable | English |
| License Type | Complete package | Complete package | Complete package | Complete package | Version upgrade package |
| Product Description | Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition - Complete package | Microsoft Windows XP Professional - Complete package | Microsoft Windows Vista Ultimate - Complete package | Microsoft Windows 7 Professional - Complete package | Windows 8 Pro - Version upgrade package |
| Licensing Details | Info unavailable | Info unavailable | Info unavailable | 32/64-bit | 32/64-bit |
| Media | CD-ROM | CD-ROM | DVD-ROM | DVD-ROM | DVD-ROM |
| License Pricing | Standard | Standard | Standard | Standard | Standard |
| Operating System | Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition | Microsoft Windows XP Professional | Microsoft Windows Vista Ultimate | Microsoft Windows 7 Professional | Windows 8 Pro |
| Package Type | Retail | Retail | Retail | Retail | Retail |
| Full specifications | Full specifications | Full specifications | Full specifications | Full specifications | Full specifications |
| Buying choices | | | | | |
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Microsoft Windows XP - Home Edition comparison
