Windows Vista Editions - Editions For Personal Computers

Editions For Personal Computers

Windows Vista Starter

Much like its predecessor, Windows XP Starter Edition, this edition sells in 139 countries such as Russia, Brazil, People's Republic of China, Nepal, Indonesia, Mexico, Pakistan, Philippines, and Thailand. Microsoft does not make it available in developed technology markets such as the United States, Canada, the European Union, Australia, New Zealand, and Japan (although users can install a 30-day trial version from the 32-bit DVD). Vista Starter has significant limitations, such as allowing a maximum of three applications with a user interface at once, not accepting incoming network connections, a watermark in the corner of the screen, and a physical memory limit of 1 GB. Unlike other editions, a 64-bit version of Starter Edition has not been released. It supports 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 locale-specific desktop wallpapers not found in other editions 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. However, it does support Desktop Window Manager compositing, just without the glass effect. Home Basic supports one physical CPU, but with multiple cores. 64-bit Home Basic supports up to 8 GB of RAM.

This edition includes Windows Firewall, parental controls, Windows Photo Gallery, and more functions. Windows Movie Maker is included as well, but without support for working with high-definition video.

Windows Vista Home Premium

Containing all features from Home Basic and similar to WinXP MCE, this edition also supports additional features aimed for the home market segment, such as support for HDTV and DVD-authoring. It also includes 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). 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. 64-bit Home Premium supports up to 16 GB of RAM.

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. This edition can join and participate in a Windows Server domain. It includes Internet Information Services, fax support, Rights Management Services client, Encrypting File System, system image backup and recovery, Offline Files, a single user Remote Desktop server, ad-hoc P2P collaboration capabilities, Shadow Copy support which provides access to previous versions of files, support for Tablet PCs, and other business oriented management features. The Vista Business edition supports up to two physical CPUs. 64-bit Business supports 128 GB of RAM.

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 up to four virtual machines running a mix of Vista editions and versions, access to Virtual PC Express, and activation via VLK. Vista Enterprise supports up to two physical CPUs. 64-bit Enterprise supports 128 GB of RAM.

Windows Vista Ultimate

Windows Vista Ultimate combines all the features of the Home Premium and Enterprise editions, plus "Ultimate Extras". 64-bit Ultimate supports 128 GB of RAM.

Microsoft released two notable variant versions of Windows Vista Ultimate: Windows Vista Ultimate Upgrade Limited Numbered Signature Edition, and Windows Vista Red. The Signature Edition featured Bill Gates' signature on the front of the packaging along with a unique number; the edition was limited to 25,000 copies. Windows Vista Red was a version released to raise awareness of AIDS in Africa. This edition was available pre-installed on select Dell computers and also through The Ultimate Steal.

Notes:

1. Users can purchase and download Windows Vista directly from Microsoft through the Microsoft Store website. Digital locker technology could secure some downloads before Microsoft Store replaced Windows Marketplace.
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.
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.
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.
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) and may also have the option to purchase Vista Ultimate (Currently the "(PRODUCT) RED" Edition) Upgrade for a reduced price (e.g. US$64.95 in the US)