When Windows XP was introduced in 2001, there were two publicly-available editions: Home and Professional. If you had a home computer, generally speaking, you selected Windows XP Home Edition; if you were installing XP on a business PC, Windows XP Professional Edition was likely a better fit. Windows Vista has changed the game a bit, however.
And Then There Were Four...
If you live in the United States, Windows Vista is available for purchase in four primary flavors: Home Basic, Home Premium, Business & Ultimate. What sets the different editions of Windows Vista apart are features and price; the more features included in a particular edition, the more the edition will cost.
Let's do a brief rundown of the four editions:
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Windows Vista Home Basic
Vista Home Basic Edition is intended primarily for the type-and-surf crowd - those who use their computers to write e-mails and to surf the Internet, but not much else. The upgrade version of the Home Basic Edition has an MSRP of $99. Many of the best features of Vista are missing in the Basic Edition, and though it is the most affordable Vista upgrade option, we don't recommend it for most users. More details @ Amazon.com... |
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Windows Vista Home Premium
Vista Home Premium Edition is the closest successor to the Home Edition of Windows XP running on most PCs today. It includes all the primary features of Windows Vista the average home user would need, including the Vista's new Aero glass-like graphical environment. This edition is likely the best fit for most Windows XP Home Edition users and has an MSRP of $159 for the upgrade version. This edition of Windows Vista also includes media components of the current Windows XP Media Center Edition as well as the Windows Mobile Device Center, the successor to ActiveSync. More details @ Amazon.com... |
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Windows Vista Business
Vista Business Edition doesn't have the multimedia features of Home Premium, but isn't as stripped-down as Home Basic. This addition also includes business-centric features not found in Home Premium such as added backup functionality, greater networking support, Remote Desktop, FAX, etc. This version of Vista is ideal for professionals in or out of the office and carries an MSRP of $199. More details @ Amazon.com... |
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Windows Vista Ultimate
Vista Ultimate Edition includes every feature found in the Home Premium and Business Editions and is also the most expensive of the Vista flavors with an MSRP of $259. This edition may best suit home business users who use their PCs for business as well as pleasure. More details @ Amazon.com... |
Which Version is Right for Me?
If you're a home user, Windows Vista Home Premium Edition is likely your best bet. This edition of Windows Vista meets most users' needs and is affordable enough for most budgets. The Business Edition of Windows Vista is best-suited for business-only system, but if you need business and multimedia functionality in one, you'll need to spring for Vista Ultimate. We recommend upgraders stay away from Vista Home Basic simply because of its lack of key Vista features like Aero, XP migration, unlimited screen resolution support, fast user switching, Media Center components, games, and more.
Upgrade v. Full
All of the MSRP (Manufacturer Suggested Retail Price) information shown above is for the upgrade versions of the different editions of Windows Vista. The upgrade version is for those upgrading to Vista from a previous version of Windows, XP or 2000.
The full versions of Windows Vista editions are more expensive, but do not require that you own or have installed a previous version of Windows. If you're running Windows ME, 98, 95 or below, you'll also need to purchase the full version of any Vista edition as they do not qualify for the upgrade.
No Clean Installations
On January 29, 2007, Microsoft announced that clean installs of Windows Vista upgrades will no longer be possible. Proof of ownership was required when upgrading to Windows 98 or XP (a key code or a disc), but Windows Vista upgrades will only install when a previous version of Windows is already installed on a PC. This means that every time you reinstall Windows Vista on your PC, you'll have to first reinstall Windows XP, which will be time consuming. If you want to be able to reinstall Windows Vista without having to have XP installed beforehand, you'll need to buy a full version of Vista.
New PCs
Most PCs shipped on or after January 30, 2007, will include Windows Vista. If you want to forego upgrading your current system, order yourself a new PC. Dell is an excellent place to start looking.
Final Thoughts
Windows Vista has been more than five years in the making. Windows XP has been in use for so long, making the switch will require a period of adjustment. Vista does require that your PC meet certain hardware requirements, and certain features of Vista even require hardware performance above and beyond these basic requirements. To check your PC for its compatibility with Windows Vista, check out the Windows Vista Upgrade Advisor.
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