I understand that if you have multiple processors you need XP Pro. I need XP Pro for my dual Celeron rig. So my question is if I get a Mac Mini with a Core Duo then do I need XP Pro? Does Intel's Core Duos count as two processors or one? And finally will Parallels Desktop take advantage the double core using XP Pro? Any insights would be greatly appreciated as I get ready to sell my Dual G4 and Celeron machines.
The virtualization only uses one of the two cores. However, actually, XP Home runs fine on a dual-core machine -- it will just only use one core.
So does that mean that Parallels can't take advantage of the dual core? Would it be useless for me to install Pro?
Well, Windows will only run on one core, but that leaves the other core free for the video handling and so forth, as well as your other apps. There are of course other differences between XP Home and Pro, and those other differences still exist when using Parallels -- it's just a matter of whether you need those features or not.
