Differences between win 7 versions

[Interfan]

Will be home premium for me.

Now table-tastic!

When Windows Vista first came out, there were many complaints about its price. Then there were complaints about how Media Center was included in Vista Home Premium, but missing from the more expensive Business Edition.

Compatibility problems and misleading hardware specification led to Microsoft being sued over its "Vista Capable" labeling.

Microsoft claims to have learned from the Vista experience. "We broke a lot of things. We know that, and we know it caused you a lot of pain. It got customers thinking, hey, is Windows Vista a generation we want to get invested in?" said Brad Brooks, Corporate Vice-President for Windows Consumer Product Marketing.

With its new "Russian Doll" model of linearly progressing features, Microsoft thinks its new lineup of six editions will meet a wide range of consumer usage models. All versions of Windows 7 include Internet Explorer 8 and DirectX 11, as well as improved multi-core processing.
With improved boot times and overall system responsiveness through all versions, Microsoft believes these engineering investments will allow small netbook PCs to run any version of Windows 7, and allow customers the flexibility to purchase a system which meets their needs. It has also improved support and optimizations for Solid State Drives, targeting both netbooks and notebooks.

Expanded features were requested by corporations for the Enterprise Edition. Virtual Desktop Infrastructure allows Windows 7 to be run as a virtual machine. Branch Cache is a file caching option for branch offices of large corporations, designed to reduce access times to centrally managed files. DirectAccess is designed for corporate networks based on Windows Server 2008 R2, which is the server version of Windows 7. AppLocker is a centrally managed, rule-based group policy program for specifying which applications can run. Enterprise Search was designed as a highly secure, manageable, server-based search system. It enables users to search remote document repositories, SharePoint sites, and Web applications.

Windows 7's Search Federation uses an Open Source standard named OpenSearch. Users can select which sites are available for searching, or the IT department can populate the list by using Group Policy. The search results are presented in Windows explorer much like local files, with rich views, file details, and previews.

The data for all editions is contained on a single DVD. This allows an electronic upgrade to be accomplished quickly, once Microsoft sends the electronic authorization to your computer. Theoretically, you can upgrade from the Starter edition to the Ultimate edition within fifteen minutes.

Microsoft sees the sales of the Windows 7 product lineup in a bell curve. The vast majority of sales will be Home Premium for consumers and Professional for businesses and enthusiasts. The majority of Windows sales will be 64-bit, with over 75% of total sales through OEM installations.

However, the true value of Windows 7 can only be determined when compared against its cost. Microsoft has not yet released any pricing information.

Update: The table should now show properly for most browsers.
Update Feb 10: Added Advanced Network Backup

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