Microsoft today announced the new product line for Windows 7. In some ways the new Windows 7 product line follows the same ideas of Windows Vista, but the big differences are that each Windows 7 edition is a superset of the previous edition (which means that each higher edition will have every feature of all lower editions) and they will be focusing primarily on two editions of Windows 7: Windows 7 Home Premium and Windows 7 Professional.
The breakdown on the different editions is:
Windows 7 Starter
This is for price-sensitive customers with small notebooks PCs.
Key Feature list:
- Broad app and device compatibility with up to 3 concurrent applications
- Safe, reliable, and supported
- Ability to join a Home Group
- Improved taskbar and JumpLists
Windows 7 Home Basic
This is for customers in emerging markets only.
Key Feature list:
- Starter features
- Unlimited applications
- Live Thumbnail Previews & enhanced visual experience
- Advanced networking support (ad-hoc wireless networks and internet connection sharing)
- Mobility Center
Windows 7 Home Premium
This is recommended for most customers (home consumers).
Key Feature list:
- Home Basic features
- Unlimited applications
- Aero Glass & advanced windows navigation
- Easy networking & sharing across all your PCs & devices
- Improved media format support, enhancements to Windows Media Center and media streaming, including Play To
- Multi-touch and improved handwriting recognition
Windows 7 Professional
This is recommended for small businesses and those customers (home consumers) who want additional features and functionality useful for small business activities.
Key Feature list:
- Home Premium features
- Unlimited applications
- Ability to join a managed network with Domain Join
- Protect data with advanced network backup and Encrypting File System
- Print to the right printer at home or work with Location Aware Printing
Windows 7 Enterprise
This is recommended for medium-to-large business and enterprise customers that choose to license Windows through Software Assurance and is available only through Microsoft Volume Licensing.
Key Feature list:
- Professional features
- Unlimited applications
- BitLocker data protection on internal and external drives
- DirectAccess provides seamless connectivity to your corporate network (requires Windows Server 2008 R2)
- Decrease time branch office workers wait to open file across the network with BranchCache (requires Windows Server 2008 R2)
- Prevent unauthorized software from running with AppLocker
Windows 7 Ultimate
Key Feature list:
- Enterprise features
- Unlimited applications
- Multi-language packs
I know that looks like there are still a lot of different editions, but the key points are:
- For Consumers: Microsoft recommends Windows 7 Home Premium for most customers and Windows 7 Professional for customers who want additional features and functionality useful for small business activities.
- For Businesses: Microsoft recommends Windows 7 Professional for most customers and Windows 7 Enterprise for medium-to-large business and enterprise customers that choose to license Windows through Software Assurance.
- The features in each version of Windows 7 build upon the one before it. As customers move up from one edition to the next, from Windows 7 Starter through Windows 7 Ultimate, they gain additional features and lose none.