Windows XP : Home v. Professional
April 14, 2005; Page B3
There's no other major item most of us own that is as confusing, unpredictable and unreliable as our personal computers. Everybody has questions about them, and we aim to help.
Here are a few questions about computers I've received recently from people like you, and my answers. I have edited and restated the questions a bit, for readability. This week my mailbox contained questions about Windows XP and security patches for the Apple operating system.
If you have a question, send it to me at
mossberg@wsj.com, and I may select it to be answered here in Mossberg's Mailbox.
Because of the volume of e-mail I receive, I can't routinely answer individual questions by e-mail, or consult on individual problems or purchasing decisions. I read all questions I receive and select three each week to answer in the column.
Q: I am going to order a new computer using Windows XP . Would it improve the computer's security if I chose XP Professional over the Home version?
A: Probably not. Windows XP Professional does add some features that the Home version lacks. But they are mainly related to configuring the computer for certain kinds of corporate networks and for enabling remote access. They don't include any significant additional security measures that would protect a home user with a typical setup.
A home user might want to choose the Pro version if he or she regularly connects to a large corporate or college network from home. Some of these networks use a security system that works only with XP Pro, not XP Home.
Q: You wrote that installing the Service Pack 2 on Windows XP has caused problems for some users, but that you still recommend installing it. Do you continue to recommend it?
A: It's not a black-and-white issue. There's no doubt that SP2 closes a multitude of security holes that digital criminals have used to attack or invade Windows computers. But, like any major update to an operating system, it can cause problems -- sometimes serious problems -- for some users.
Also, SP2 isn't a security panacea. It hasn't eliminated the virus or spyware problems on Windows PCs, and SP2 users still need a bunch of extra security software. However, the security mess on the Windows platform is so severe that, on balance, I do recommend SP2.
Just make sure to back up all of your important files, including e-mail, before installing SP2 -- or any other major upgrade to an operating system, on any platform.
Q: If the Macintosh is invulnerable to viruses, as you often say, why does Apple issue security patches for its operating system, just like Microsoft?
A: First of all, the Macintosh isn't invulnerable to viruses, and I have never said so. In fact, I have written the opposite. What I have said repeatedly is that, so far, there haven't been any reports of successful viruses for Apple's current operating system, Mac OS X. By successful, I mean a virus that infects, and spreads among, the computers of real users -- not just machines in a test lab.
Nevertheless, Apple does issue security patches for OS X, because the company, and outside experts, periodically discover theoretical vulnerabilities that might be exploited by virus writers and other digital criminals. Microsoft does the same thing, but it also has to act on occasion to patch Windows to stop actual successful viruses.
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Because of the volume of e-mail I receive, I can't routinely answer individual questions by e-mail, or consult on individual problems or purchasing decisions. I read all questions I receive and select three each week to answer in the column.
Windows XP家庭版和专业版
在我们大多数人拥有的大件电器中，再没有什么比个人电脑更令人费解、更变幻莫测的了。每个人或许都有些关于电脑的问题，而《莫博士信箱》将为您提供帮助。
本周我将回答读者有关Windows XP专业版和家庭版的区别、及苹果电脑(Apple)操作系统补丁程序等的问题。
问：我打算订购一台安装Windows XP的新电脑，如果我选择专业版而不是家庭版的Windows XP，电脑的安全性能是否会得到提高呢？
答：可能不会。Windows XP专业版增加了一些家庭版所没有的功能，但它们主要与设置电脑的某类公司局域网和远程登录功能有关。与家庭版相比，专业版并未增加任何安全功能。
如果家庭用户经常从家里接入到公司或学校的局域网，也可以选用专业版Windows XP，一些这样的局域网使用的一种安全系统只能和专业版XP、而不是家庭版XP兼容。
问：你曾经写过一篇文章，称部分用户在Windows XP上安装Service Pack 2时会出现问题，不过你仍建议安装。你现在还推荐这样做吗？
答：这并不是简单的是或不是的问题。毫无疑问，SP2堵住了大量曾被黑客们利用来攻击或入侵Windows电脑的安全漏洞，不过和其他主要的操作系统升级程序一样，SP2本身也给部分用户带来了一些问题，有时甚至是严重的问题。
另外，SP2并非包治所有安全问题的万灵丹，它还不能完全清除Windows电脑上的病毒或是间谍软件，因此SP2用户仍需要安装其他大量的安全软件。不过，鉴于Windows操作系统的安全问题实在是太严重了，我还是推荐大家安装SP2。
但在安装SP2或其他操作系统的重要升级程序前，一定要先备份包括电子邮件在内的所有重要文件。
问：如果Macintosh真如你所说的那样不会受到病毒的攻击，那么苹果电脑为什么要像微软(Microsoft)那样发布这个操作系统的安全补丁程序呢？
答：首先，Macintosh并非不会受到病毒的攻击，我从来没有这样说过，实际上我的说法恰恰与此相反。我曾多次提到的是：到目前为止，还没有有关成功攻击苹果Mac OS X操作系统的病毒的报告，这里的成功指的是一种病毒感染了实际用户的电脑，并在电脑间传播，而不仅仅指实验室内的测试电脑。
无论如何，苹果的确发布了OS X的安全补丁程序，原因是公司及外部专家发现，该系统从理论上存在一些可能会被病毒写手和其他黑客利用的漏洞。微软也发布安全补丁程序，不过有时它这样做的目的是为了堵住确实存在的病毒的攻击。
