If I install WIDE FS on my Windows XP Pro pc, can I then?? &

Can I meet up with friends of mine, over the internet, at airports we designate, and can we fly within sight of each other? Do the other computers I link up with have to run Windows XP Pro, like my computer does, or is Windows Home Edition good enough? Most of my friends computers are a little slower than mine, ( by virtue of their hardware ), so I need to know to what extent must the computers that utilize WIDE FS be comparable? I guess we all have to use Microsoft Flight Simulator 2004 version. Is that right? Since I have the fastest computer, should my pc be the host for the WIDE FS program? Does that matter? Or does it make no difference that the host computer be the fastest one? Is WIDE FS free, or does it cost? Back to "comparability" of computers. Does the internet connection for each computer have to be close to identical? In other words, must all the participating computers be cable-modem, or DSL, or can dial-ups participate, or are dial-up connections too slow? Can connection types be mixed, or must participating computers be identical in their "type" of connection to the internet?.......Thank You so very much for answering my questions. I'm ready to launch......Russell.....e-mail address: aviation1972@yahoo.com :?: