>I put the same question to a friend who is a sysadmin. He said that Win XP Pro has better security, and all users should use it. His explanation went something like this: "The Home version has an inadequate firewall. The free version of Zonealarm is also inadequate. If you pay for the better version of Zonealarm, you have wiped out part of the savings. The Home version also has non-secure default settings, giving everyone rights to everything. You can adjust it, but it takes work and knowledge." He also said that the upcoming Service Pack 2 might change some of this, in either direction.

Hi Bret,

It seems like no-win situation for home users.
I think both WinXP versions use the same firewall which only protects from outside access. You'll have to get some other firewall for full protection. AFAIK, SP2 isn't going to change that.
The WinXP Pro default security settings may be to restrictive for home users. "You can adjust it, but it takes work and knowledge". :)

I would definetely install WinXP Pro not Home on my home PC.