Windows 7 Editions (SKUs) Available for Sales Revealed
Microsoft has revealed the SKUs (Store-Keeping Unit) or product editions that Windows 7 will be available in. Unlike Windows Vista which has many confusing versions for end-user or consumer to choose, Microsoft expects that a majority of customers will be best served by two primary editions of Windows 7: Windows 7 Home Premium for consumers, and Windows 7 Professional for businesses.
According to Windows General Manager Mike Ybarra when interviewed by PressPass, editions of Windows 7 are a superset of one another. Which means that when customers upgrade from one version to the next, they keep all features and functionality from the previous edition. Besides, different editions of Windows 7 can run on a very broad set of hardware, from small-notebook PCs (sometimes referred to as netbooks) to full gaming desktops.
Generally, 6 editions of Windows 7 will be made available:
- Windows 7 Starter (only available on pre-installed OEM channel worldwide but limited to new PCs limited to specific types of hardware)
- Windows 7 Home Basic (only available in emerging markets)
- Windows 7 Home Premium
- Windows 7 Professional
- Windows 7 Enterprise (only on Software Assurance or Volume Licensing channel)
- Windows 7 Ultimate
The brief description of various editions of Windows 7 is listed below.
Windows 7 Starter
Availability: Worldwide, OEM channel, for new PCs limited to specific types of hardware only (netbook)
Key Features: Enhanced Taskbar, Jump Lists, Windows Media Player, Backup and Restore, Action Center, Device Stage, Play To, Fax and Scan, basic games
Limitations: Missing Aero Glass, many Aero desktop enhancements, Windows Touch, Windows Media Center, live thumbnail previews, Windows 7 Mobility Center, Home Group creation features, and can run only three applications at once.
Windows 7 Home Basic
Availability: Emerging market, OEM channel only
Key Features: All features of Windows 7 Starter in addition to advanced networking feature, live thumbnail previews, and Windows Mobility Center.
Limitations: Missing Aero Glass, many Aero desktop enhancements, Aero windows navigation, Windows Touch, Windows Media Center and Home Group creation features.
Windows 7 Home Premium
Availability: Mainstream Windows 7 SKU, worldwide release and available for both OEM and retail channels
Key Features: Aero Glass, Aero Background, Windows Touch, Home Group creation, Media Center, DVD playback and authoring, premium games, in addition to all features of Windows 7 Home Basic.
Limitations: Missing Domain join, Remote Desktop host, advanced backup, EFS, and Offline Folders features
Windows 7 Professional
Availability: Mainly for small businesses, worldwide release, and available in OEM, retail and volume licensing (VL) channels
Key Features: Domain join, Remote Desktop host, location aware printing, EFS, Presentation Mode, Offline Folders, Windows Media Center beside inclusive of all features and functionalities from Windows 7 Home Premium
Limitations: Missing BitLocker, BitLocker To Go, AppLocker, Direct Access, Branche Cache, MUI language packs and boot from VHD abilities or features
Windows 7 Enterprise
Availability: Software Assurance or Volume-License enterprise business customers only
Key Features: BitLocker, BitLocker To Go, AppLocker, Direct Access, Branche Cache, MUI language packs and boot from VHD – basically, all features of Windows 7.
Windows 7 Ultimate
Market: Retail channel or upgrade from Windows 7 Home Premium and Professional UI
Key Features: BitLocker, BitLocker To Go, AppLocker, Direct Access, Branche Cache, MUI language packs and boot from VHD – basically, all features of Windows 7.
Basically, the lineup of Windows 7 product editions is pretty similar to Windows Vista, except some notable changes such as Windows Media Center now been included in Windows 7 Professional (Windows Vista Business edition excludes WMC), and Windows 7 Starter is geared towards netbook market globally, where Windows Vista Starter is meant for low cost PCs in emerging markets.
Similar to Windows Vista, Windows 7 installation DVD media will contain setup files for Windows 7 Ultimate and all its subset versions, and Windows 7 will determine which version and feature to activate upon entering of product key.
Check out the full feature comparison chart for all Windows 7 editions. The pricing for Windows 7 is not determined yet, but there is an uncomfirmed unofficial price list for Windows 7 retail price.
Update: Windows 7 RTM release schedule and launch information
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Entries (RSS)
November 3rd, 2009 17:45
[...] or Enterprise, or from Windows 7 Professional to Windows 7 Home Premium or Home Basic. Windows 7 SKUs or editions have a hierarchy as [...]
October 31st, 2009 02:27
[...] universal installation DVD disc media or ISO image which allows users to select whichever editions of Windows 7 they prefer to install during setup. Instead, each Windows 7 installation ISO or media is specific [...]
October 25th, 2009 11:11
[...] to 32-bit (x86) Windows 7 setup installer, each editions of Windows 7 has its own different and separate download links, and the setup installer package comes in 3 [...]
October 23rd, 2009 02:53
[...] Windows Vista, each editions of Windows 7 has its own different and separate download links. The Windows 7 setup installer package comes in 3 [...]
September 3rd, 2009 02:57
[...] 7 Enterprise Edition is an edition of Windows 7 that targeted at corporate and business customers. As such as Windows 7 Enterprise can only be [...]
August 8th, 2009 01:36
[...] selection screen. However, all DVD of Windows 7 does contains and able to install all and any version of Windows 7, from Windows 7 Starter, Home Basic, Home Premium, Professional to Ultimate edition. Actually, the [...]
August 8th, 2009 01:28
[...] (Microsoft Developer Network) and TechNet Plus, meet the original schedule of August 6, 2009. All editions of Windows 7 is available, including Windows 7 Ultimate, Windows 7 Enterprise, Windows 7 Professional, Windows 7 [...]
August 1st, 2009 12:26
[...] 7 is available in a total of 6 editions, with each higher edition superset preceding edition with more features from the sequence of [...]
July 25th, 2009 00:14
[...] has finally published a document that outlines supported and unsupported upgrade paths for Windows 7 edition SKUs. Comparing with previous version, the upgrade paths scenarios are very much simplified and make [...]
July 23rd, 2009 15:48
[...] What are the editions (SKU) of Windows 7 available? (Windows 7 Editions and Versions) [...]
July 13th, 2009 11:22
[...] Windows 7 SKU or Edition Available: Windows 7 Starter, Windows 7 Home Basic, Windows 7 Home Premium, Windows 7 Professional, Windows 7 Enterprise and Windows 7 Ultimate. Most end-users will be selecting between Windows 7 Home Premium, Professional and Ultimate though. On top of usual Windows 7 K, N and KN editions, Windows 7 will also release a special SKU of Windows 7 E edition for European countries, where no Internet Explorer 8 (IE8) will be included. Windows 7 E will be selling at promotional upgrade pricing for full version edition before December 31, 2009, as upgrade SKU is not available yet, although direct upgrade from Windows Vista is not supported. [...]
July 6th, 2009 11:57
[...] than various editions of Windows 7 on various languages that going to be available for general public, Microsoft is also rolling out a [...]
May 25th, 2009 00:04
[...] so called crippled or reduced version of Windows 7, namely Windows 7 Starter Edition as one of the Windows 7 editions [...]
February 7th, 2009 03:49
[...] has published the Windows 7 SKU or product editions that will be available to end-users. In Windows 7 operating system, higher version (more expensive) [...]
February 7th, 2009 03:47
[...] has just announced the editions or SKUs that will be available for sales and purchase for Windows 7, without any official pricing details yet. But, a German website, windows-secrets.de has leaked the [...]