Microsoft announced that it will offer several different versions of its upcoming Windows 7 operating system. Those versions will include Starter, Home Basic, Home Premium, Professional and Ultimate.
Microsoft expects that the Home Premium and Professional editions will be by far the most popular versions among most users.
In spite of that, Microsoft wants to make sure that the full spectrum of user needs will be met by one of Windows 7’s editions.
“We’ve received great feedback from customers and partners through Windows XP and Windows Vista, and have learned a lot about how to communicate what’s available in different editions of the operating system,” said Windows General Manager Mike Ybrarra. “At the same time, we have a customer base of over one billion along with many partners, so it’s important to make sure the right edition of Windows with the right feature set is available for them.”
Unlike with past operating systems, Microsoft plans to make it easy for users to move from one version of Windows 7 to another. The entirety of Windows 7’s functionality will come as a single piece of code, with different feature editions available to be unlocked with an upgrade product keys.
Not everyone, however, is convinced that offering multiple versions of Windows 7 is a good idea.
“With Vista, users had to figure out what features they wanted or might want in the future and then figure out what the right version of Windows was. Apple picked up on that and mercilessly skewered them for it,” said Michael Gartenberg, an independent technology analyst. “It didn’t work particularly well for Vista. It’s not something that’s going to work well this time around, either. Microsoft needed fewer versions, not half a dozen that are out there.”
Based on everything we’ve seen and heard about Windows 7, it doesn’t seem that Microsoft has learned all that it could from the painful lessons taught by the ongoing Vista saga.
