Official Windows 7 SKUs revealed: six editions

[Slimy]

After a ton of guesswork and rumors flying around, Microsoft has finally confirmed what much of the evidence was pointing to: there will indeed be six editions of Windows 7, just like there were for Windows XP and Windows Vista. Customers will be able to choose from Windows 7 Starter Edition, Windows 7 Home Basic Edition, Windows 7 Home Premium Edition, Windows 7 Professional Edition, Windows 7 Ultimate Edition, and Windows 7 Enterprise Edition. The news comes hot on the heels of the Windows 7 Ecosystem Readiness Program announced yesterday.
All editions will be available in worldwide markets except for Home Basic, which will be offered in emerging markets. Starter will be also available worldwide but only via OEMs.

We know emerging markets have unique needs and we will offer Windows 7 Home Basic, only in emerging markets, for customers looking for an entry-point Windows experience on a full-size value PC. We’ll also continue to offer Windows Starter edition, which will only be offered pre-installed by an OEM. Windows Starter edition will now be available worldwide. This edition is available only in the OEM channel on new PCs limited to specific types of hardware.
​

Most users will only Home Premium, Professional, and Ultimate, which is why Microsoft is expected to only offer upgrade paths for these three. Microsoft will have a press release on this news over at PressPass (not available at publishing time).

Full Story: Official Windows 7 SKUs revealed: six editions - Ars Technica

 

[z3r010]

6 Editions in at least 3 different flavors - x86, x64 & n

So at least 18 version and thats before the idiots at the EU start on it

 

[z3r010]

While i'm at it.

"Windows 7 Starter : up to three concurrent applications" - Would somebody care to explain this one?

 

[killercat]

6 Editions in at least 3 different flavors - x86, x64 & n

So at least 18 version and thats before the idiots at the EU start on it

Not to forget the very likely K/KN flavors for South Korea


/edit:

While i'm at it.

"Windows 7 Starter : up to three concurrent applications" - Would somebody care to explain this one?

You can only run 3 programs at the same time? LOL
No idea how that should work... But if it's indeed like that, and netbook manufacturers chose to bundle this edition to cut costs,
then a lot of people will be pis**d
And it wouldn't be any good for 7's reputation either, I'd dare guess^^

 

[Barman58]

About what I expected,

Starter - for the new Netbook market and probably not at all similar to Vista Starter
Home basic - older hardware in developing countries
Home premium - the OS for the home market with all the media functions but no Clint server network functions and such that are almost exclusively business requirements
Professional - for the business market with the client server Etc but with the media functions removed (most sys admins don't want users playing video and MP3's in the office)
Enterprise - Professional for the multinationals - more a licensing model than anything else
Ultimate - for the technicians who have to support both home and business customers or for users who use the same machine at home and at work, and geeks everywhere

so IMO it breaks down to three real versions home , professional, and ultimate

With the removal of the live essentials from the packag it could be that the "n" versions will not appear

 

[z3r010]

You can only run 3 programs at the same time? LOL
No idea how that should work... But if it's indeed like that, and netbook manufacturers chose to bundle this edition to cut costs,
then a lot of people will be pis**d
And it wouldn't be any good for 7's reputation either, I'd dare guess^^

If that was the case, just what would define and app?

Imagine the user buys a printer then installs the junk from the CD and ends up with 3 apps running in the sys tray, great you've installed your printer but now cant run your word pro :sarc:

Or you install your antivirus, antispyware and firewall - great you now have a really secure system as you cant run IE/Firefox/Chrome to get on the net.

 

[GlobesStudios]

why microsoft why?!!??
why did you go and mess this up everything was going so well

 

[eggyuk]

Supposidly Ultimate is going to be "limited availability" too. I just don't M$ sometimes. They've listened to the complaints about Vista, got a load of hype going about 7 and then they go and ignore one of the biggest complaints people had about Vista.

It's like the whole Vista capable fiasco hasn't even registered with them.

To a certain degree I can understand having 3 versions:

• a trimmed down version for netbooks and like
• standard version for most users
• finally an Ultimate version for advanced users and businesses

Crazy

 

[napilopez]

Well, I was hoping otherwise, but I can't say I'm surprised

Professional - for the business market with the client server Etc but with the media functions removed (most sys admins don't want users playing video and MP3's in the office)

I have to correct you on this mate, professional has all the feautures of home premium, Media Center included. The way 7 is divided is so that each "greater" SKU has all the features of the lesser one. So Basic has all the features of starter+more, Premium has all the features of Basic+More, Professional has all the features of Premium+More, etc.

According to engadget( Windows 7 SKUs announced: your worst nightmare has come to pass - Engadget ), only professional and above include the Mobility Center and presentation mode, which I think doesn't ake much sense, its a feature I can see most laptop users can make use of(students making presentations at school?). I guess I'll have to go with Professional, it doesn't seem I'll need the features of Ultimate.

Gah, this is a headache. I don't think it will negatively impact the sales of 7, but its still pretty dumb imo =/

Edit:

Out of curiousity, how exactly does separating Windows help microsoft in terms of money? I mean, I'm no business major(physics, ), but its an honest question, not rhetorical. Wouldn't it simply be easier/cheaper to allow windows to tailor itself feature-wise depending on the system, or let manufacturers include certain features or not by default, but still sell only one version of the OS? I don't see why it would be so hard to take ultimate, and depending on your WEI or other factors, include certain features or not. Didn't the pre-XP versions of Windows work like this kinda? That you could add or remove certain windows features from the control panel depending on your needs?

 

[darkassain]

If that was the case, just what would define and app?

Imagine the user buys a printer then installs the junk from the CD and ends up with 3 apps running in the sys tray, great you've installed your printer but now cant run your word pro :sarc:

Or you install your antivirus, antispyware and firewall - great you now have a really secure system as you cant run IE/Firefox/Chrome to get on the net.

hey z3
as you know (or might not...)
Vista starter also had that same limitation

Windows Vista Starter
Much like Windows XP Starter Edition, this edition sells only in "emerging markets" such as Brazil, People's Republic of China, India, Indonesia, Mexico, Pakistan, the Philippines, and Thailand — 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.

 

[patrickt]

So, I get the Home Premium and the netbook version for my netbook. I don't see a problem with this. If I needed Ultimate, I could get that. I hate paying for features I have absolutely no use for.

 

[killercat]

windows starter will not be available to any OEM but only to emerging markets just like vista starter+ netbooks
Basic on the other hand will be worldwide...

Are you sure about that?

Windows 7 Starter is for emerging markets mostly, but also for some netbooks as an option. It's pretty gimpy, and only runs three apps at a time, though it'll have the new taskbar, Device Stage and jump list. Since Home Premium (and even the Ultimate beta) runs pretty well on netbooks, most of them are probably going to stick with that, so don't worry too much about it.

Windows 7 Home Basic is for developing markets only, and Microsoft didn't even tell me anything about it, so forget about it. [This info was added in an update.]

Windows 7 Starter Edition (for emerging market and netbook users)
Windows 7 Home Basic (for emerging market customers only)

Windows 7 Starter (worldwide via OEM only): up to three concurrent applications, ability to join a Home Group, improved taskbar and JumpLists
Windows 7 Home Basic (emerging markets): unlimited applications, live thumbnail previews and enhanced visual experience, advanced networking support (ad-hoc wireless networks and Internet connection sharing), and Mobility Center

According to that, I'd say Basic is emerging markets only.
But I simply don't get why they consider Starter suitable for netbooks, if it really doesn't even feature ad-hoc wireless networks or the Mobility Center...

 

[darkassain]

Are you sure about that?


According to that, I'd say Basic is emerging markets only.
But I simply don't get why they consider Starter suitable for netbooks, if it really doesn't even feature ad-hoc wireless networks or the Mobility Center...

The press can sometimes be wrong too...
i want to see the it in the Windows 7 press release or someone in MS say that and that ill know that it is true....

as you can see that zdnet with endgadget and ars saying something different about the availability of starter...
someone has to be incorrect...

what i have seen is the same stance as with Vista...
Vista starter>7 Starter (like you i see no reason why they the removed adhoc and mobility center)
Vista Home Basic>7 Home Basic
Vista Home Premium> 7 home premium
Vista Business> 7 Professional (dont know why WMC is included in this... Mobility Center i can see as i know a few tablets have Vista business...)
Vista Ultimate> 7 Ultimate
Vista Enterprise>7 Enterprise

 

[killercat]

Q&A: Windows General Manager Mike Ybarra discusses how Windows 7 editions are being designed to make buying simple, while serving the needs of more than 1 billion customers worldwide.

full article: Windows 7 Lineup Offers Clear Choice for Consumers and Businesses

 

[darkassain]

full article: Windows 7 Lineup Offers Clear Choice for Consumers and Businesses

thank you...
+rep for proving me wrong..
i learned something new...

 

[PhreePhly]

The press can sometimes be wrong too...
i want to see the it in the Windows 7 press release or someone in MS say that and that ill know that it is true....

as you can see that zdnet with endgadget and ars saying something different about the availability of starter...
someone has to be incorrect...

what i have seen is the same stance as with Vista...
Vista starter>7 Starter (like you i see no reason why they the removed adhoc and mobility center)
Vista Home Basic>7 Home Basic
Vista Home Premium> 7 home premium
Vista Business> 7 Professional (dont know why WMC is included in this... Mobility Center i can see as i know a few tablets have Vista business...)
Vista Ultimate> 7 Ultimate
Vista Enterprise>7 Enterprise

First of all, the SKU breakdown does not follow the Vista model, so you can't do the comparison that you have. MS has made it pretty clear that Starter and Basic are for emerging markets only. Starter will also be available on LOW-END netbooks.

There are only 2 consumer versions of Win 7 that will be marketed, Home Premium and Professional, with Home Premium a true sub-set of Professional, so everything in Home Premium is in Professional. This is different from Vista in that Home Premium and Business had different elements in each, so that the only way to get both was Ultimate.

Ultimate is basically Enterprise for the Consumer. Say you are an independent IT consultant, with Ultimate, you could work in almost any enterprise setting and have the necessary tools to connect and work. Ultimate will be a niche product and most likely not available on retail shelves.

So now, when the consumer walks into Best Buy or Office Depot, they see Home Premium or Professional, not the current crop which has Home Basic, Home Premium, Business and Ultimate.

Sounds like an improvement to me.

PhreePhly

 

[darkassain]

First of all, the SKU breakdown does not follow the Vista model, so you can't do the comparison that you have. MS has made it pretty clear that Starter and Basic are for emerging markets only. Starter will also be available on LOW-END netbooks.

There are only 2 consumer versions of Win 7 that will be marketed, Home Premium and Professional, with Home Premium a true sub-set of Professional, so everything in Home Premium is in Professional. This is different from Vista in that Home Premium and Business had different elements in each, so that the only way to get both was Ultimate.

Ultimate is basically Enterprise for the Consumer. Say you are an independent IT consultant, with Ultimate, you could work in almost any enterprise setting and have the necessary tools to connect and work. Ultimate will be a niche product and most likely not available on retail shelves.

So now, when the consumer walks into Best Buy or Office Depot, they see Home Premium or Professional, not the current crop which has Home Basic, Home Premium, Business and Ultimate.

Sounds like an improvement to me.

PhreePhly

i think you were a little to late....lol
slimy please disregard my post...

 

[PhreePhly]

i think you were a little to late....lol
slimy please disregard my post...

Ha...just a little, But the point still stands...just not in regards to you

PhreePhly

 

[darkassain]

Ha...just a little, But the point still stands...just not in regards to you

PhreePhly

yeah i know....
actually it kinda does make sense....
the should have ripped business right from the start
(to this day i do not know why the have Business (Enterprise is more than enough... im guessing they will lower the amount of pc need to buy before you are eligible to get the enterprise licence)

I think what they are trying to do is market to those xp folks...
i mean professional?...

 

[PhreePhly]

yeah i know....
actually it kinda does make sense....
the should have ripped business right from the start
(to this day i do not know why the have Business (Enterprise is more than enough... im guessing they will lower the amount of pc need to buy before you are eligible to get the enterprise licence)

I think what they are trying to do is market to those xp folks...
i mean professional?...

Absolutely, Home Premium will get shortened to Home when there is no Basic in the picture, so now you have Windows 7 Home or Professional, kinda has a nice ring to it, no?

I'm still curious how they will handle 32 bit/64 bit. Current retail of Ultimate and Home Premium have both disks, I believe, but OEM only has one. Both versions would fit on a DVD9 (dual layer), but apparently enough DVD players cannot handle dual layer, so that probably won't fly.

PhreePhly