Windows 7 Buying Guide

With the upcoming release of Windows 7 on October 22nd, you may be thinking about upgrading your operating system. In the past, Microsoft often confused customers as to which Windows edition to choose by not providing logical feature upgrades between editions, and by offering too many different SKUs. With Windows 7, Microsoft is simplifying the process of choosing which edition is right for you.

This time around, the Windows versions are logically designed so that each more advanced (and expensive) edition includes ALL of the features of the less advanced version. Unlike with Vista, there will be no need to decide between features that were available in a lower version but not in the more advanced edition. For instance, Windows Media Center was available in Vista Home Premium, but not in the more expensive Vista Business. With Windows 7, all of the editions build on the edition below it.

The three retail versions of Windows 7 that will be available in the U.S. are Home Premium, Professional, and Ultimate. Let’s compare the main differences between these three versions.

Windows 7 Home Premium

This is the edition that will satisfy the needs of most personal computer users. It’s retail price is $199.99, with an upgrade available for $119.99. Home Premium includes every major feature that the home or small business user would typically need. Major components include:

-Aero Shake, Jump Lists, and Snap for simplifying navigation and customization of your desktop

-home networking through HomeGroup

-64-bit capability

-Windows Media Center for managing and sharing all of your media, as well as recording live TV (including HD)

Windows 7 Professional

I like Microsoft’s move to go back to the naming convention of the most popular version of Windows XP….Professional. Selling for $299.99 with an upgrade for $199.99, Windows 7 Professional does pack on a few extra features that do justify its price. Professional includes every feature found in Home Premium, plus:

-Windows XP mode for running older programs in a virtual XP environment

-Domain Join for connecting to business networks quickly and easily

-Automatic Backup that is improved in Windows 7 to easily and automatically recover lost files

Windows XP mode will be the biggest factor in driving sales of Professional. Many older programs will not work on Windows 7 without this mode, and if you are holding on to old software that you love, Professional may be for you. It is also a no-brainer for people that need to log into their company’s network remotely.

Windows 7 Ultimate

With a price just $20 higher than Professional (for both the retail and full versions), Windows 7 Ultimate does not come with any revolutionary features that you can’t live without. The main differences between Ultimate and Professional are Ultimate’s ability to switch between 35 different languages on the fly, and its integration of BitLocker. This technology protects your data on your internal drives, as well as external flash drives and other portable storage devices.

I guess if you are multi-lingual and can’t decide which language you like best, Ultimate could be for you. Otherwise, it’s not worth spending the extra money. Technologies like TrueCrypt are free and open source, and will handle data encryption just fine.

I hope this overview gives you an idea of which version of Windows 7 to purchase in October. For a more detailed look into each version, check out the official Windows 7 site.

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