Windows Vista editions

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Windows Vista is available in six different marketing editions.[1] All editions support both 32-bit (x86) and 64-bit (x64) processor architectures, except for Windows Vista Starter, which supports only 32-bit architectures.

On 2006-09-05, Microsoft announced USD pricing for the four editions available through retail-channels.[2] It has made available new license and upgrade-license SKUs for each edition.

Microsoft characterizes the packaging for the retail-editions of Windows Vista as "designed to be user-friendly, [...] a hard plastic container that will protect the software inside for life-long use".[3] The case opens sideways to reveal the Windows Vista DVD suspended in a clear plastic case. The Windows Vista disc itself uses a holographic design similar to the discs that Microsoft has produced since Windows 98.

Contents


[edit] Editions for personal computers

Windows Vista Starter
Much like Windows XP Starter Edition, this edition sells only in "emerging markets" such as Mexico, Brazil, India, Pakistan, Thailand, China, Indonesia and the Philippines — mainly to offer a legal alternative to using unauthorized copies. Microsoft does not make it available in the United States, Canada, Europe, Israel, Australia or New Zealand (although users can install a three day trial-version from the 32-bit DVD).[4] Vista Starter has significant limitations, such as only allowing a user to launch three applications with a user-interface at once, not accepting incoming network-connections, and a physical-memory limit of 1 GB. It retails only as a 32-bit system.[5] It supports only AMD's Athlon XP, Duron, Sempron and Geode processors, and Intel's Celeron, Pentium III processors and certain models of Pentium 4. The usable portion of the hard disk has a limit of 250 GB. Starter Edition comes with some desktop-wallpapers not found in other versions of Vista.
Windows Vista Home Basic
Similar to Windows XP Home Edition, Home Basic targets budget-conscious users not requiring advanced media support for home use. This edition lacks the Windows Aero theme with its translucent effects. Home Basic supports one physical CPU, but with multiple cores[6] 64-bit Home Basic supports up to 8 GB of physical memory, and Microsoft will support it until 2012.
Comparable to Windows XP Home Edition,[7] this version includes Windows Firewall, parental controls, Safety Center, Windows Movie Maker, Windows Photo Gallery, and more functions.
Windows Vista Home Premium
Containing all features from Home Basic, this edition also supports additional features aimed for the home market-segment, such as support for HDTV and DVD-authoring. It also includes "extra premium" games, support for mobile and tablet PCs, for network projectors, for touchscreens, and for auxiliary displays (via Windows SideShow), and a utility to schedule backups. Home Premium supports 10 simultaneous SMB peer-network connections (compared to 5 in Home Basic)[8]. The version of Meeting Space included also allows for interaction (in Home Basic, one may only view meetings). This edition has functionality comparable to that of Windows XP Media Center Edition. Like Home Basic, it supports only one physical CPU, but multiple cores.[6] 64-bit Home Premium supports up to 16 GB of physical memory; and Microsoft plans to support it until 2012.
Windows Vista Business
Comparable to Windows XP Professional and Windows XP Tablet PC Edition, Windows Vista Business Edition targets the business-market. It includes all the features of Home Basic with the exception of Parental Controls and the Windows Vista Standard theme. It Includes the IIS web-server, fax support, Rights Management Services (RMS) client, file-system encryption, dual-processor (two sockets) support, system-image backup and recovery, off-line file support, a full version of Remote Desktop that supports incoming connections, ad-hoc P2P collaboration capabilities, the "Previous Versions" feature (Windows ShadowCopy), several other commercial features, the Windows Aero theme and support for tablet PCs. The Vista Business edition supports up to two physical CPUs.[6] 64-bit Business supports 128+ GB of memory. Microsoft's "Mainstream Support" for Vista Business ends on April 10, 2012; "Extended Support" ends on April 11, 2017.
Windows Vista Enterprise
This edition targets the enterprise segment of the market: it comprises a superset of the Vista Business edition. Additional features include support for Multilingual User Interface (MUI) packages, BitLocker Drive Encryption, and UNIX application-support. Not available through retail or OEM channels, this edition will get distributed through Microsoft Software Assurance (SA). Since Vista Enterprise classes as a benefit of Microsoft Software Assurance, it includes several SA-only benefits, including a license allowing the running of multiple virtual machines, access to Virtual PC Express, and activation via VLK.[9] Vista Enterprise supports up to two physical CPUs.[6] The 64-bit variant supports 128+ GB of memory. Microsoft "Mainstream Support" for Enterprise ends on April 10, 2012; "Extended Support" ends on April 11, 2017.
Windows Vista Ultimate
Windows Vista Ultimate combines all the features of the Home Premium and Enterprise editions, plus the "Ultimate Extras" and commercial-grade encryption[citation needed]. "Mainstream Support" for Ultimate ends on April 10, 2012, while Microsoft flags "Extended Support" as "Not Applicable".[10]
Microsoft also makes an upgraded variant of Windows Vista Ultimate available: Windows Vista Ultimate Upgrade Limited Numbered Signature Edition. This limited, numbered edition of Windows Vista Ultimate features Bill Gates' signature on the front of the packaging along with its unique number; Microsoft plans to produce only 20,000 copies of this edition.[citation needed]

Notes:

  1. Users can purchase and download Windows Vista directly from Microsoft through the Windows Marketplace web-site. Digital locker technology can secure some such downloads.[11][12]
  2. "Home Basic N" and "Business N" editions of Windows Vista ship within the European Union (EU) without Windows Media Player, in accordance with EU sanctions brought against Microsoft for violating anti-trust laws.[13]
  3. Due to a 2005 anti-trust ruling by the Fair Trade Commission in South Korea, Microsoft will sell a set of "K" and "KN" editions of Windows Vista that contain some changes from the standard release. The operating-system will include links to competing instant-messaging and media-player software, and the "KN" editions will not include Windows Media Player at all.[14]
  4. Customers in Canada and the United States who purchased the Ultimate Edition (full or upgrade) before June 30, 2007 could purchase additional licenses of Vista Home Premium at a cost of $49.99. Microsoft sold these licenses online through its web-site.[12]
  5. Microsoft sells four different Vista DVDs in non-emerging markets: Retail/OEM 32-bit, Retail/OEM 64-bit, VL (Volume Licensing) 32-bit and VL 64-bit. The Retail/OEM DVD contains all editions of Windows Vista except Enterprise. The license-key purchased determines which version will get installed; the VL DVD can only install Business or Enterprise edition. Users can "unlock" the features of the Home Premium and Ultimate editions at any time by purchasing a one-time upgrade license through a Control Panel tool called Windows Anytime Upgrade. Similarly one can upgrade the Business edition to Vista Ultimate. End-users purchase such licenses from Microsoft's partners and OEMs, not directly from Microsoft.
  6. Students in some regions have the option to purchase the Home Premium Upgrade version for a reduced price (e.g. US$89.95 in the US).[15]

[edit] 64-bit editions

To support 64-bit platforms such as Intel Core 2, Athlon 64, and AMD Opteron, Microsoft released 64-bit editions of every edition of Windows Vista except for the Starter edition. These editions can run 32-bit programs by running them within the WOW64 subsystem. Most 32-bit programs can run natively, though applications that rely on device drivers will not run unless those device drivers have been written for 64-bit Windows. Much older hardware doesn't have the necessary support to get the drivers written [16][17][18].

Other applications may have difficulty as well. For example, the Visual Basic 6 IDE will run natively on Vista 32, but will not run at all on Windows Vista 64 [19].

[edit] Vista for Embedded Systems

See also: Windows Embedded

Two additional editions of Windows Vista have been released for use by developers of embedded devices. Microsoft lists the system requirements for these editions as being the same as their desktop variants. These editions are licensed exclusively for the development of embedded devices.[20]

Windows Vista Business for Embedded Systems
This edition mirrors the feature set of the Business edition of Windows Vista.
Windows Vista Ultimate for Embedded Systems
This edition mirrors the feature set of the Ultimate edition of Windows Vista. Accordingly, it includes capabilities not found in Vista Business for Embedded Systems like BitLocker Drive Encryption, the Subsystem for UNIX-based Applications, and Virtual PC Express.[21]

[edit] Upgrading

Upgrade paths from Windows XP and between different Vista editions. Dotted lines indicate the need for a "clean install".
Upgrade paths from Windows XP and between different Vista editions. Dotted lines indicate the need for a "clean install".

Users can sometimes upgrade from Windows XP to Windows Vista, or upgrade from one version of Windows Vista to another. However, not all potential upgrade combinations exist. The accompanying chart indicates the possible upgrade paths:


[edit] References

  1. ^ Microsoft (February 26, 2006). "Microsoft Unveils Windows Vista Product Lineup". Press release. Retrieved on 2006-10-31.
  2. ^ Microsoft (September 5, 2006). "Industry Testing of Windows Vista Release Candidate 1 Begins". Press release. Retrieved on 2006-09-05.
  3. ^ Thurrott, Paul (October 31, 2006). Paul Thurrott's SuperSite for Windows: Windows Vista and Office 2007 Packaging Revealed. Windows Supersite. Retrieved on 2006-11-04.
  4. ^ Ricadela, Aaron (February 27, 2006). Microsoft To Release Six Versions Of Windows Vista. Informationweek.com. Retrieved on 2006-09-08.
  5. ^ Windows Vista Starter Edition. Retrieved on 2007-05-30.
  6. ^ a b c d All physical CPUs may have an unlimited number of cores
  7. ^ Windows Vista - Your Editions
  8. ^ Windows Vista: Which Edition Should You Get?. helpwithwindows.com (May 30, 2007). Retrieved on 2007-05-30.
  9. ^ The full list of Software Assurance benefits, including Vista features specific to Enterprise, appears at Microsoft's Software Assurance web page for Windows Vista.
  10. ^ Microsoft Support Lifecycle
  11. ^ Windows Marketplace: Search results
  12. ^ a b White, Nick (January 17, 2006). Multiple announcements today. Windows Vista team blog. Microsoft. Retrieved on 2007-01-20.
  13. ^ "Microsoft and EU reach agreement", BBC World News, March 28, 2005. Retrieved on 2007-01-21. 
  14. ^ Hickens, Michael (October 16, 2006). Vista on Track: Microsoft Bends For E.U., Korea. WinPlanet. Jupitermedia. Retrieved on 2007-01-20.
  15. ^ Microsoft U.S. academic retail pricing
  16. ^ Dan's data - Ask Dan: 32 or 64 bit Vista? February 9, 2007
  17. ^ CNET 64-bit PCs: Drivers wanted August 3, 2007
  18. ^ KezNews 6 Caveats – 64-bit Windows Vista February 9, 2008
  19. ^ MSDN Support Statement for Visual Basic 6.0 on Windows®Vista™and Windows®Server 2008 ™ Microsoft February 2008.
  20. ^ Microsoft (April 15, 2008). "Microsoft Charts Its Road Map for Windows Embedded Business". Press release. Retrieved on 2008-04-17.
  21. ^ Windows Vista Ultimate for Embedded Systems. Microsoft. Retrieved on 2008-04-17.

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