my Noob cpu OS queston , please dont lagh to hard

Sorry to ask such a newb question in this forum but I am not getting any bites where I posted.

Does windows XP home take advantage of both cores in an Intel core 2
duo?

Ok just done a ton of research on this. Too little to late at this point. XP home will not use two cores effectively some differing opinions on athlons but the consensus seems to agree that Intel core two duos do not
receive support for both cores. Guess when I was researching the hardware to put into my first build I would have spent a little time on OS software research. Overall with having to buy the XP pro upgrade
instead of the OEM version will set me back $60. . O’well you cant put a price on an education.

No.

Heres the scoop. XP it's self, might not totally utilize both the cores well. You might ask, "XP it's self?" Yes. I mean the core operating system. Any software that you install on your XP pc will utilize dual core just fine, like games and utilities.

Just to specify. XP home, Media Center, and Professional are EXACTLY the same. The only difference is the software installed on them. An Example would be Professional comes with better networking tools then Home or Media Center.

So please, if your thinking of buying a Dual Core CPU don't hesitate. It's a night and day contrast.