Tuesday, February 3rd 2009
Windows 7 SKUs Made Official
Microsoft has had patchy success with its Windows Vista series of operating systems, and is banking on its next major addition to the Windows franchise, Windows 7 to turn its fortunes for the better. After having generously released beta versions of the operating system to the public, the company is gearing up for a product launch schedule. In the process, it made its SKUs (variants) of the operating system official today. The lineup consists of three variants in particular, suited for domestic deployments, with three variants aimed more towards commercial deployments, and then of course, there is an Ultimate variant that lets one have it all. The lineup for Windows 7 is as follows:
The Professional variant is a super-set of Home Premium and has enhanced networking capabilities such as Remote Desktop host, domain support, offline folders, etc. It adds features such as Mobility Center (that provide system management for portable machines) and Presentation-mode making PCs boardroom-friendly. It will be available through OEM and retail channels. The Enterprise variant is available only in volume-licenses and serves as a client OS in large networks. It is a super-set of the Professional variant, and adds to its feature-set with Branch Cache, Direct Access, and BitLocker features. Finally, there's the Ultimate variant that lets you have it all, it is a super-set for all the variants.
Source:
Engadget
- Windows 7 Starter Edition
- Windows 7 Home Basic
- Windows 7 Home Premium
- Windows 7 Professional
- Windows 7 Enterprise
- Windows 7 Ultimate
The Professional variant is a super-set of Home Premium and has enhanced networking capabilities such as Remote Desktop host, domain support, offline folders, etc. It adds features such as Mobility Center (that provide system management for portable machines) and Presentation-mode making PCs boardroom-friendly. It will be available through OEM and retail channels. The Enterprise variant is available only in volume-licenses and serves as a client OS in large networks. It is a super-set of the Professional variant, and adds to its feature-set with Branch Cache, Direct Access, and BitLocker features. Finally, there's the Ultimate variant that lets you have it all, it is a super-set for all the variants.
55 Comments on Windows 7 SKUs Made Official
And why is it, that most people that complaining that win7 ultimate is gonna be expensive, have big computers and stuff? Here in denmark a vista ultimate oem licens costs about the same as a ati 4850 does - You cant use your computer without either one of em. Sure, i can find a cheaper os or go linux\freeware. But i could also just get a gfx card from a friend.
If you cant afford it, you dont need it.
it's for India, Bangladesh, Somalia, Brazil,...
XP had home, pro, MCE, corporate (Volume version of pro), x64 and server 2003. They were all the XP flavours.
To most users, thats all there is here. Its not like you'll ever see anything on shelves thats not home premium or ultimate - the rest arent available to the average consumer.
15% of the companies that buy windows relay on Athlon XP and Pentium 4 cpus that aren't 64bit capable. if M$ wouldn't make 32bit windowses the companies would swich to linux or stay on their current windows and M$ would losse a lot of money.
Anyways, I am yet to be impressed with windows 7. It does really offer anything that Vista doesn't have and the small performance gain isn't worth going out and dropping $200 for it. Hate the new GUI too, please bring back Aero. I have Vista Home Premium on my Desktop and Laptop and I have zero problems or complaints. Can't wait for Vista SP2!
Windows 7 Home Premium
Windows 7 Professional
Windows 7 Enterprise
Windows 7 Ultimate
Why are they different? what makes them different?
IMO, it should have been:
Windows 7 Home - Aero Glass, Aero Background, Windows Touch, Home Group creation, DVD playback and authoring, premium games
Windows 7 Professional - Domain join, Remote Desktop host, location aware printing, EFS, Mobility Center, Presentation Mode, Offline Folders, BitLocker, BitLocker To Go, AppLocker, Direct Access, Branche Cache, MUI language packs, boot from VHD
Windows 7 Ultimate - Everything including Media Center.
Either that or Media center should be available as an add-on to Windows, like you used to be able to get Windows Plus!
/just my 2p.
Networking wise, I wouldn't want that to be hindered, simplified but not cut down & limited.
Security (UAC can get ******!) I like how Security Center is, but once I've disabled what I don't need due to using my preferred programs I wouldn't want a constant freaking reminder that Security Center has been disabled.
Instead of adding in useless crap the average user doesn't need, they should work on making a gaming edition. Actually that'd suck they'd fill it full of Windows Live bs.
I just hope they get pricing right.
XP home was $110 Au and XP pro was $200 when i last looked at prices (this was back before vista) so you'd assume approx $150 for home basic and $250 (max) for home premium
(in $au)
ultimate will be ridiculously expensive, but hell, 90% of the people using that have it cracked or pirated anyway.
So it was just Home and Professional Editions, Corporate being a volume license of Pro just like you just said.
These seem like the most reasonable way to go. Fine, perhaps just Home, Pro and Business. Enterprise being a volume license of Business, but Home Basic, and Ultimate are certainly not needed when all "significant" features in Ultimate can go right into Pro.
If you, like me, were using XP Pro in your home (for features that differentiate it from XP Home), then you basically had to choose from Vista Business or Ultimate. Business lacked some Home Premium features and Ultimate gets pricey when you have to buy for multiple machines.
I'll take a 3-pack of Win 7 Pro!
As a starting line I know people that are running P4's with 1gb of ram running Win 7 now and are enjoying it more than XP or Vista, we are still talking about 32bit chips here... It's like asking why do they still make boards with PATA ports, why do floppy disks / drives still exist... It's nearly endless, but in turn they exist and are continued to be made for VERY good reason.
*Let's just convert ALL new gas stations to server E-85 only!*
***FYI this would make sense too at that level, you can produce "more" power from "less" E-85 then from standard E0-E10 blends.
What they should have done was individual packages as they were saying they were going to do in the first place... 99.9% of users do not need anything over Vista Basic and really need less than it gives. So if I want support for more ram, I have to get Business or H.Prem, then I get a lot of other junk I don't need nor want. It's Microsoft continuing to be fat and lazy.
I have no doubt that Windows 7 will be a great OS, I just wish they would do it "right" for once.