Windows 7, Microsoft’s latest iteration of the Windows operating system (OS) is just a few days from general public launch.  There is much good to be said about Windows 7 and I have used it from it’s beta stages to release candidacy (RC) to the final released to manufacturing (RTM) which I got from TechNet as well as another copy from the recent Microsoft/AMD Ready to Launch event.  Far from the Vista fiasco which..well..broke stuff, Microsoft has finally gotten their act together to put out a polished product that not only turns heads but has many new features that quite certainly make it the best Windows ever.  Today we’ll look a bit at the available editions and how to choose the right edition to get what you want done.  The computer is a tool, we are to use it to get what we want done quickly…not fight against it and go inch by inch to get what we want done.  Today we’ll look at the various editions and find out which one is best for you.

Windows 7 Editions

Below is a chart showing the 3 primary editions.

One of the nice things is Microsoft’s decision to keep things simple just like the XP days.  Gone are those Vista days where you’d have media center with Home Premium but not have the ability to connect to domains (corporate networks) or have Vista Business and not be able to enjoy multimedia.  Similarly to Windows XP, everything is now additive.  Anytime an edition of Windows 7 is mentioned, the higher edition has all the features of the lower editions.  So what are the differences and what should I buy?  Much like the XP days, XP Professional was the OS of choice.  Similarly, with Windows 7, the same applies.  Let’s talk about the various editions starting with Ultimate and work our way down.

Windows 7 Ultimate

This is the big kahuna.  The flagship product which is also known as Windows 7 Enterprise – Enterprise and Ultimate are exactly the same with only differences in licensing.  The key reasons to get this edition is if you want to be able to:

• Use language packs and have your Windows interface in the language of your choice such as Chinese or Spanish to name a few. 
• Encrypt your data using “BitLocker” drive encryption.  This was first introduced in Windows Vista Ultimate but now it also adds “BitLocker To Go” which enables you to encrypt removable drives such as portable hard drives or USB flash drives.

Windows 7 Professional

This is the version that most people will probably want as it includes very important features such as:

• An imaging backup solution.  Imaging takes a snapshot of your computer thereby allowing you to restore it or previous versions of just files should something go wrong.  Imaging takes not only your documents and data, but it can and will also backup your programs.  With this kind of a backup, should Windows become incapacitated, you’ll be able to restore it using just a boot disc and the drive where you kept your backup.
• The ability to join domains.
• The ability to run Windows XP Mode (available as a free separate download) which utilizes hardware virtualization.  This simply means you run Windows within Windows thereby allowing you to run and use older hardware as well as software.  There are some caveats to this depending on what type of CPU you have.  So be sure to check out Intel and AMD’s websites to see if your CPU will support it.  Currently many Intel chips do not have this support.  As to AMDs, the only CPU currently on the mainstream market that does not allow this feature to be used is the Sempron class of chips.  Applications once installed and configured (usually automatically) are then able to be launched from within Windows 7 directly.  No, you don’t have to see the virtual machine’s desktop to be able to use the application.  When you purchase Professional or Ultimate, you are granted the right to run a single XP virtual machine.
• A slew of other Enterprise class features such as “Branchcache” and “DirectAccess” which work with the new Windows Server 2008 R2.
• “Location Aware Printing” will allow you to select various printers to be enabled based on time and/or network that you are connected to.  Gone are the days where you click on print and not realize that it has been added to the wrong queue.  If this occured, then upon returning to the other location, whether it be home or work, all of a sudden the flood of print jobs that did not print suddenly start spewing out of the printer.

Windows 7 Home Premium

This is the bottom of the barrel…granted there are lower editions of Windows 7, but I would not go any further down.  This edition is also available in a 3 user family pack.  What you get in this edition is:

• The “Aero” interface which was introduced in Vista, but now has been greatly refined with “Mouse Gestures” and more.
• Quick document, file, and keyword searching.  The comfy names such as “Add or Remove Programs” and other XP terms which were renamed in Windows Vista to “Programs and Features” are back.  Now both names work and point you to the same thing.
• Home Groups will allow you to quickly network your Windows 7 computers together securely using a key that will be generated.
• Windows Media Center allows you to have a multimedia entertainment center.  This can also be used to send music and videos to other computers and media extenders.

Well those are the various editions available.  System requirements are as follows (taken from Microsoft):

If you want to run Windows 7 on your PC, here’s what it takes:

• 1 gigahertz (GHz) or faster 32-bit (x86) or 64-bit (x64) processor

• 1 gigabyte (GB) RAM (32-bit) or 2 GB RAM (64-bit)

• 16 GB available hard disk space (32-bit) or 20 GB (64-bit)

• DirectX 9 graphics device with WDDM 1.0 or higher driver

Additional requirements to use certain features:

• Internet access (fees may apply)

• Depending on resolution, video playback may require additional memory and advanced graphics hardware

• Some games and programs might require a graphics card compatible with DirectX 10 or higher for optimal performance

• For some Windows Media Center functionality a TV tuner and additional hardware may be required

• Windows Touch and Tablet PCs require specific hardware

• HomeGroup requires a network and PCs running Windows 7

• DVD/CD authoring requires a compatible optical drive

• BitLocker requires Trusted Platform Module (TPM) 1.2

• BitLocker To Go requires a USB flash drive

• Windows XP Mode requires an additional 1 GB of RAM, an additional 15 GB of available hard disk space, and a processor capable of hardware virtualization with Intel VT or AMD-V turned on

• Music and sound require audio output

My personal recommendation is taking the 64-bit version of Professional.  But if you are on budget and/or could care less about backups, running older stuff, or joining domains, then Home Premium 32-bit would be the best choice.  The reason why 32-bit is recommended if you are not running Professional or Ultimate is due to compatibility.  The average user will find it easier to use 32-bit (but they will also be limited to 3.2GB of RAM as this is a bittedness issue) as most manufacturers have put out 32-bit Vista drivers for most products now.  Speaking of drivers, it is also now very easy to load drivers.  Just connect to the internet and plug in your device…in my tests in technical support, I plugged in an Epson as well as a two Samsung laser printers.  In all cases, the 32-bit version drivers all loaded without hitch and I could print and scan without worrying about anything else.  In the event of one Samsung printer in a 64-bit situation, Microsoft did not have the drivers and pointed me directly to Samsung’s support page for the exact printer.  The result?  Samsung never made 64-bit drivers for that printer….oops…bad Samsung…not Microsoft’s fault.  Well, in that specific case, I used XP Mode to be able to use my printer again as 64-bit XP drivers were available.

Application Refits

Some other new features include facelifts to applications such as Wordpad, Paint, as well as the calculator.

The new Wordpad is now more intuitive with the ability to create images on the fly as well as more word processor functionality.  No, it still doesn’t have spell checking, but it can sure embed stuff.

The new paint has more shapes and abilities then ever before.  It also incorporates the ribbon bar which was introduced in Office 2007.

The calculator now comes with different modes such as Scientific, Programmer, and Statistics.  Also it is refreshing to see what I previously have already entered when entering an equation.

New Tools

The Snipping Tool is a screenshot utility.  It can capture freeform, rectangle, and windows.

The Problem Steps Recording is a troubleshooting program that automatically tracks what you type and makes screenshots.  All of this info is then compressed into a ZIP file which you can email to a technician.  By being able to show what causes the problem step by step, a technician can more easily help you as he or she can see what is going on as well as what is done to cause the error that you are encountering.

Sticky Notes will help you stay organized as well as keep the real stickies from invading and covering up your entire screen – although if you really wanted to you still can invade and clutter the screen with virtual stickies!

Closing Thoughts

All I can say is that I am ecstatic about Windows 7!  By keeping things simple, Win7 runs great on even netbooks and older computers.  It doesn’t start up unneeded services which helps it to run snappier.  The best way I can put it is WinME is to Vista as WinXP is to Windows 7.  Hasta la Vista!  Bonjour 7!

Related posts:

1. Windows 7 Setup Part 2: Eanie-Meany-Miney-Moe – Choosing the Right Version of Windows 7
2. Windows 7 for Free… Well some pain included!
3. Windows Vista Myths…Busted
4. Windows 7’s Virtual XP Mode – Not Scanner Happy
5. Windows Mobile Device Center Beta 3 for Vista Released