No worries on `ignorances' - we're all learning eh?
Consider your VM as a stand-alone computer. Set its `Network' adapter to be a `Bridged Adapter' (see attached .png). Your VM will acquire its own IP address. At this point, you can point your RDP/VNC client to the new machine.
Depending on your VM/XP firewall settings, you should be able to `ping'
Cheers, -pablo -- openSUSE 11.1;KDE ISP: TekSavvy DSL; backhauled via a 6KM wireless link
