Windows 7 In Six Flavors!

Source

Well knowing me...I want it all so most likely it's gonna be Ultimate for me.

 

Wow, there should be 4 version max.

- Lite
- Home
- Business
- Ultimate

 

It is perfectly understandable to have these options...

 

Consumers are going to be just as confused with 6 versions of Windows as when Vista was released with all it's variations. Why they made Home Basic and Professional when they sound the same as the next version up is beyond me.

 

There will only be two versions available for purchase at retail, Premium and Pro.

 

premium for the win

 

20 versions of Windows 7!!! (j/k)

 

This. The average consumer is only going to see 4 versions total, Premium and Professional in 32bit and 64bit. The other versions will be OEM only and business only etc so your average consumer will not see them, or need to know they exist.

 

Kevin Jack is correct, at most the options that consumers will see at retail are:

Windows 7 Home Premium- Was originally going to be called Windows 7 Home due to the repositioning of Windows 7 Home Basic out most markets, but focus groups found that people with Vista Home Premium thought that they were being shafted and downgraded when they heard the name. Hence the whole "premium" thing

Windows 7 Professional- Unlike Vista Business, it includes all of the features of Home Premium, like Media Center, and Windows DVD maker, along with the business features you'd expect

Windows 7 Ultimate: A rare bird this one, MS expects sales to be in single percentage territory, and they aren't emphazing it like they did Windows Vista Ulitmate, as Windows 7 Professional now builds on top of Home Premium's feature set. While there is still some unique Ultimate features, and you'll find it at some retail locations, MS is really aiming this version of 7 at OEM's with high end gaming/media systems, or special bundles where the "ultimate" branding will add some cachet.

This formula pretty much goes the same way for preloads on new PC's as well, except for one more version: Starter

Windows 7 Starter will be available to OEM's as an alternative, low-cost option for Netbooks and Nettops. While I'm sure that most netbooks/nettops can run Windows 7 Home Premium, making starter available to OEM's will probably allow them to keep pricing down, as they already pay a reduced amount for XP ULCPC Edition. The only downside is that Starter is a bit restricted in that you can only launch up to 3 programs at a time.

So it's not as bad as it seems really, and if Microsoft makes that point clear in marketing Windows 7, which is gonna be an issue as just this early mention on the internet has proven, it may be a non issue for the average consumer.

 

I agree. It's annoying.

 

Home Basic will only be available in select developing countries, think of it as the new "starter edition"

 

I don't see what the problem is. Just like Vista:
1. If you buy a laptop, it will come with a pre-installed version (usually Home Premium)
2. if the laptop is CTO, usually you have a maximum of 3 choices: Home Premium, Business, and Ultimate. If you are a consumer, then you should be concerned with only 2 of the choices.
3. if you buy a computer or CTO, the first two points apply again
4. if you build your own computer out of parts you bought, you should be smart enough to figure out what version you need.

 

Think of it from a "lost customer" perspective; you walk into a retail store, largely unaware of what computer specification mean, but very certain of what you need; how are common consumers like that going to decide on a version of Windows (even if some are not offered; why are they mentioned, then?). I'm just saying, it'll still end in confusion.

 

I'll admit that with Vista, it was a bit of an issue. Statistics show that most people get the latest version of Windows when they buy a new computer. Whenever I walked around Walmart, I've seen at most, two versions, Home Basic and Home Premium preloaded on machines. At Best Buy it was pretty much only Home Premium except for a handful of machines with Home Basic, Business or Ultimate. I could see how it could be a bit of a challenge for the uninitiated, esp. at a store with a lot more choices like Best Buy.

Now, with Windows 7, it should be a lot easier. If Wal-Mart's retail laptop OS selection remains the same, you'll only see laptops/desktop's with Home Premium, perhaps you'll see an Aspire One with Starter (unlikely since it can run Aero) but still, that's one decision on one dramatically different device.

At a larger retail store, you can eliminate Home Basic laptops from the mix, those will come with Home Premium from now on, then the choices are down to basically Home Premium and Professional. (Remember that systems w/ Ultimate will pretty much be nonexistant except for super high end systems)
Netbooks?-Again, probably with Home Premium, but you might see an ultra cheapo one with starter just to get the price down.

 

Actually this is very big cleanup in Windows versions and in retail stores only few will be available to buy just as booboo12 explained. I fear a lot of what will say will be repeated but perhaps it will become even clearer. (Isnt there a proverb about repetition and learning? )

Take a look here for even more details:
http://blogs.zdnet.com/microsoft/?p=1890

Some quotes from this blog:
" Microsoft is putting the bulk of its marketing dollars and muscle behind just two of the Windows 7 SKUs: Windows 7 Home Premium and Windows 7 Professional."
These 2 are most probably the only ones that will be available in stores

" each, successive version of Windows 7 is a true superset of the SKU just below it"
This will make it much easier to understand what each version offers. With Vista if you were moving from one to another, features were getting added AND taken out. With 7 it will be much simpler, "higher" version will have ALL the features of the "lower" ones PLUS some more. And it gets even better. If you buy a version and then you realise you need a superior one, you can just buy a key and apply it and then move to the next version. The procedure is allegedely taking 5-10 minutes WITHOUT demanding a complete reinstallation of the OS as is the case with Vista!

" While Microsoft is going to emphasize just two SKUs, it still is going to offer five or six (depending on how you count) different Windows 7 versions."
If you read carefully you will very soon understand that the additional versions of Windows will either never make the stores for retail purchase being offered only as already installed OS(Starter, Home Basic and Enterprise) existing to serve very specific reasons, or they will be found in much smaller numbers (Ultimate).

Bottom line, if you go in a store you will only find 2 maximum 3 versions offered. (Of course each will be in 32 and 64 bit but lets not count that)

 

Yep, couldn't have said it better myself, If I could Rep you, I would

 

Great post here man
Repped you for it

Personally, I don't mind how many versions there are, as long as it works like it should

Hopefully Windows 7 seems to be on the right track

 

This will be a silly question but does anyone think that Vista Ultimate owners have an upgrade path to Windows 7 Professional? Or is it a straight shot to W7 Ultimate only?

 

D, don't quote me on this, but everything that I've read seems to suggest that the path is a straight shot to W7 Ultimate. I do not believe you will have a path to W7 Pro from Vista Ultimate. Again, however, I caution you NOT to quote me on that information, as it's based more on conjecture and hearsay than actual fact.

 

And there you have it.

Well said, mate.

 

Wow I dont see why anyting more then home and business or maybe ultimate should be made. One for business one for home and MAYB one for those who want multimedia and business features for a laptop or such. As for the version of 7 the netbook one is quite dissapointing. Max of 3 apps at a time...are they serious??? I couldnt work like that without going crazy.

 

Considering the fact that the primary use of a netbook is for non-intensive tasks like word processing and web-surfing, it does seem to make perfect sense. A netbook is not really intended to be used for anything like CAD or gaming or any other system-intensive functions.

There was a very brief period of time when a lot of us were unsure as to whether or not there would even be a W7 release for netbooks. I think it's encouraging to those who plan to go that route and like W7 that there will be a version for that platform.

With all that said, however, I agree with you that I couldn't work like that without going crazy. That's reason enough for me to stay away from a netbook, if I can afford to.

 

Most netbooks will come with Home Premium. Starter will only be on equipment that is really low end.

 

The thing is I just did a full day of work on my netbook alone to test it and it worked great for RDPs file exploring VS2008 and the other typical uses. I had all of that open on top of office, aim streaming music and several IE browsers without an issue on my acer aspire one. Granted I wont be doing this again, still nice to know I can open more then three things at a time just in case I have to.

 

Being a Mac user who's looking seriously at switching to PC in a few months, and very satisfied with my copy of Windows 7 beta running in Boot Camp on my Macbook, this upsets me. Why can't Microsoft KISS? We only need two versions: Business and Home. Why overcomplicate things?

 

Why undercomplicate things?

 

Yeah, it actually is nice to know that your machine was able to handle all of that.

 

How is it complicated if 99% of consumers have the only choice being Home Premium or Professional? Doesn't seem like a hard choice to me.

From most people's perspective, Ultimate, Enterprise and Home Basic don't even exist. Starter is for ultra low cost PC's, that's it.

Greg

 

See SpeedyMods' post!

Exactly

 

Well the Starter Edition will be only for those netbooks that are really at the lower end of the performance charts and cannot run the Home Premium.

Check out this post in these forums in order to realise how low the requirements are:
http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=340971
The OP claims that he installed Win7 in
" I installed it on my Toshiba Satellite M70, Celeron M 1.7 gigahertz, 512 ram, 64-128 ATI x200m."
that frankly is considered extremely weak by today standards, and to his opinion even Aero works fine with just 512MB of RAM and a Celeron 1.7Ghz!
" Aero works very nicely while in "balanced" power mode."

Here is another very nice blog from zdnet, I copied the part about the Starter edition
http://blogs.zdnet.com/Bott/?p=659&tag=rbxccnbzd1
" Windows 7 Starter Edition, with its artificial restriction on performance (you can only run three simultaneous programs) will be available for sale worldwide, but only as a preinstalled operating system on OEM-built PCs “limited to specific types of hardware.” Microsoft is clearly confident that it has pared down the resource requirements of Windows 7 Home Premium so that it will run acceptably on the generation of netbooks that will be current when Windows 7 arrives later this year. It’s hard to imagine the Windows 7 Starter Edition name being much of a selling point. Microsoft may even be taking the calculated risk of discouraging Windows 7 from being installed on underpowered notebooks and triggering disappointing reviews."

If those said are true extremely few (if any) of the 2009 netbooks will have the Starter Edition...and as you can see, since it will only come preinstalled you will never ever have to consider putting it to your netbook, simply because it will not be available for purchase!

 

Microsoft Recommends Home Premium for Netbooks

 

The article was very well written and made a lot good points (though I don't agree with everything). Good find, Jay.

 

you'll need a little bit of high-end netbook to run home premium, IMO.

 

By the time Windows 7 is out in the fall, netbooks will have had an overhaul. Intel's Pineview platform and Via's Nano will both provide a much better Windows 7 netbook experience than current ones. And what is a high end netbook since most come with the same specs (Atom, hard drive or ssd, ram, exct)?

 

hmm...i agree.

i guess netbook high/low end currently depends on RAM amount mostly.

 

I must say that I think that I'm going to go with Win7 Professional. I currently have Vista Ultimate and, if MS goes the same route with Win7, then there will be no incentive for me to buy that version since Vista Ultimate doesn't offer anything special, IMHO.

 

Yep, that's probably your best move, as Microsoft will really downplay Ultimate's existance in Windows 7. They estimate sales numbers in the single percent range

 

Pro might actually end up being the most popular version if the rumors are true and Pro has everything that Home Premium does. Having each one be a "superset" of the previous one is a good idea, IMO. I don't know why they didn't do that with the different Vista versions.

 

Well they figured that businesses would want nothing to do with Media Center, DVD maker, etc.

I too predict that sales will revert to the days of XP, where Professional was the most popular version, followed by Home Edition.

 

Heh, why does it take thousands of people all reacting to that news at first negatively...then to finally really analyze it to finally get it? Why didn't they just do two press releases, one for consumers and one for businesses? Separate out the SKUs on purpose to stop this retarded bad PR.

 

I downloaded the 32bit version and installed it. I liked it at first and still like it but my computer wouldn't boot up for me once so I just loaded vista back on it. Not sure what happen but it is only the beta release, it looks very promissing.

 

LOL, I got it from the very beginning, all of the people freaking out on tech blogs and such apparently didn't get the memo..

 

Because people do not read the actual documents or announcements. It is too tedious so they just read the letters in bold.!

If you do it like that you the normal reaction is "oh ****, 6 editions!!, what a mess!". If people read it their reaction would be "hmm, 3 editions that I can actually use and I can easily pass from the one to the other!"

What I do not undestand, is why the PR people in Microsoft, that are getting paid x10 more than I am, havent still figured out that >90% of the people when faced with an announcement they tend to read the titles! And if they like them then they read the whole story!!! ( And since >90% of people do it, it qualifies as "normal" behaviour! )

So any bad publicity is their fault and theirs alone... (They sould really spend some months with the Apple people in order to see how it is properly done! )

 

Then again..Apple has it pretty easy haha. All they have to announce is that a "new" OS is coming out and everyone goes crazy (in a good way) .

 

Table of Features

 

Thanks.
The Win7 Retard edition, euh, Starter Edition with max 3 running programs still looks like a marketing mind fart.
One can run a firewall, an AV and ONE more program....
Probably it's just me but why Microsoft ever decided to come up with this version is beyond reason imo.

 

Starter Edition News

 

Oh, I've read why Microsoft thinks it's a good product but a crippled OS for the simple/cheap netbook market, to avoid a growing linux market share there, is still bollocks imao.
It's more or less a way to sell cheap netbooks with a trial version of Windows 7.
You want to use Skype and IE (besides an AV and firewall f.i.)? Buy Basic!
Cheers.

 

Finally, an article that answers my questions about optimization for SSD's.

 

6 flavors - Microsoft seems to be having an identity crisis, as they appear to be confused about whether they're a software company, or a Baskin-Robbins franchise.