Differences between basic and ultimate

I agree 100%. I think there is a lingering stigma as there was with XP that "pro" is better.
I had a friend actually tell me that who thought he was sharp with computers.
I asked him to tell my the difference between pro and home, and why pro is better...and he couldn't.

I use Pro at home and work ONLY because of use acceptance testing...(and I like being able to RDP into my home PC for off network testing and not having to setup VNC, etc.)...

Nothing I do at home would warrant the need for anything but Home...to be honest.

Work...obviously...need to join the domain!!

dajogejr said:

I agree 100%. I think there is a lingering stigma as there was with XP that "pro" is better.

And Vista! It was worth getting pro(Home Premium), worth even ultimate for me.
they really have slimmed down features in Win 7 to the point that they don't add anything when you upgrade to pro or ultimate win 7s. Research is the key, and I obviously didn't do enough. Thought I was getting 2 operating systems, thats misleading as heck.

wearetheborg said:

The OP is missing this, but it may have been mentioned in the replies:
for me the biggest plus point of Pro/Ultimate is Software Restriction Policies in Pro, and AppLocker in Ultimate (the next gen of Softrware Restriction Policies).

I consider SRP (combined with a limited user account) to be a super strong line of defense against malware.
I gather Applocker offers more functionality.

Yes, and some people may well need those services, but I really can't say I do. I -only- got pro because I thought it came with xp (for games) but virtual xp isn't good with games, apparently. Sad day for me when I learned there was nothing I could do. I don't know, maybe its just a game with me trying to find the best cheapest custom computer I can. Compare 3,000$ the first time buying a computer to 1,500$ this last time. Now I'm confident all I need in the future are parts that I install, potentially only costing 300$-800$ every few years or so, depending on how big the upgrade is. I disabled most of Pro's services (as it was built for the office). All I needed was home. But its in the past, and like someone said earlier, I may need pro later. Perhaps one day I suddenly become paranoid and upgrade to ultimate, enacting all security features to lock down my computer more so than the central bank itself

*Edit* Well, unless they have Windows 7 Ultimate themselves, I suppose. Everyone seems to be upgrading to Win 7, including some parts of the military (US)

wearetheborg said:

Everyone can make use of security features.

You might have heard of the recent .lnk vulnerabilities in windows, and the search path security holes.

Software restriction policies drop all the attackers for those dead in their tracks.

This has been dealt with Microsoft Security Advisory (2286198): Vulnerability in Windows Shell Could Allow Remote Code Execution
No, honestly any more security on my system isn't worth it. Basically, if you click on to something and download a virus, its your fault. I Don't do that. You might think accidents happen, but MSE has not failed me yet. I almost didn't even bother to install it either. Just don't click on suspicious links, its really not hard. People make a bigger deal out of it than it is, and some may have a reason to. I keep personal information to myself and have no fear of it getting out. If it does, the bank has security measures in place, some of which I have enacted myself (Limits to amounts taken out, reimbursement for stolen monies). I have no fear, the biggest thing Would be a reinstall, but I enjoy that part.

I like computer systems simple, not complicated webs of encoded and encrypted software that backs up safely to mother nature's hiney. I play games, I don't run banks

*removed due to double post*

DustSailor said:

Just don't click on suspicious links, its really not hard.

It's also not that simple. Clearly you have never been a victim of a drive by download from a website. Perhaps even a trusted website that was hacked or injected with malicious code.

So, lets say you fire up Google, and you have to do a search for AHCI. Google then returns a list of links that contain information on AHCI. So what would you do at this point? Would you only click on the ones you know are safe? Which of the links provided is safe to click on? How could you possibly know. (Aside from not going to something like http://72.13.8.85/virus.exe)

Yes but thats what the antivirus is for. Most browsers refuse downloading unless you give it permission, and you can even set higher restrictions within the browser. If it gets past those defenses, than either it is a very sophisticated virus, or I allowed it to. I enjoyed firefox for a while because it had add-ons that disabled many things websites had, like adobe pop ups and scripts and many others; I am now trying IE9 beta to see how it will work out. IE is supposed to be top security, but unless IE9 drastically improves, I'm going back to firefox's flexability.

Back on topic. Really, it isn't hard. If a virus does overtake my system and I cannot get rid of it, than a simple reinstall will suffice, at least for me. I don't do work on my computer, it is only for entertainment. So I guess I am really only speaking for myself when I say I never needed pro. Someone else very well may need it, but I am in favor of keeping my system fast for games and internet only, security is nice, but too much for me is a constant pain. (Ever try buffer zone? it has to be one of the worst). Others here have purely entertainment computers as well, otherwise why would you install the best hardware out there like many of us do? If I wanted better security, I by no means would rely on Windows 7 Pro. I would buy it (Other proven security software, more than just an AV). Pro would be a nice edition, and perhaps even Ultimate if I was concerned for my system's welfare. I'm just saying I regret my decision to buy pro. I could have had a fancy dinner with the money I would have saved