Various versions of windows 7. We are recommended to friends

The Windows 7 operating system is becoming increasingly popular among users. But this OS was released in several versions at once, and many users do not know which version to give preference to. What are the main differences between versions of Windows 7?

The Windows 7 operating system was released in six versions (editions). Of course, the first difference between the versions of Windows 7 that immediately catches the user's eye is the price. But the difference in price is due to different functionality. Let's take a closer look at each version of the operating system, and then look at the differences between the versions of Windows 7.

Description of Windows 7 versions

Windows 7 Starter. This version only ships with new computers. The initial edition is as “stripped down” as possible; for example, it lacks the functionality for playing media files with AAC, H.264 and MPEG-2.

Windows 7 Home Basic. This version of the OS is intended for sale in emerging markets (including CIS countries). In this version, only the basic Windows Aero interface theme is available; a number of functions are not available, such as Shake, Peek, Internet connection sharing, taskbar preview, etc. Playback restrictions in this version are the same as in the Starter version.

Windows 7 Home Premium. This version includes all the features of the Home Basic System, plus Multitouch support, Windows Media Center and additional gaming programs. Also available in this version is the ability to improve handwriting recognition.

Windows 7 Professional. This version differs from Home Enhanced in its ability to use Remote Desktop as the host computer. It is equipped with EFS encryption system. It contains a number of additional processes and AppLocker. The professional version can be downgraded to Windows Vista and Windows XP.

Windows 7 Enterprise. This release is intended primarily for IT professionals to provide them with an opportunity to familiarize themselves with the OS within an organization. This edition is distributed exclusively under a corporate license and has a 90-day free trial period.

Windows 7 Ultimate. As the name suggests, this version includes all the available features of the Windows 7 operating system.

What are the main differences between the versions of Windows 7 besides those that have already been described in the brief description of each edition? Let's start with differences between Windows 7 Starter and more “advanced” versions operating system. This edition does not have a 64-bit version, it does not support the Windows Aero interface, the ability to quickly switch between users, the desktop manager, the Windows Mobility Center, or the ability to change the desktop background.

All these functions are already present in the Home Basic version, which, however, is devoid of a number of other functions. The differences between Windows 7 Starter and Home Basic versions from other OS editions are as follows:: inability to create a homegroup (you can only join), lack of support for multiple monitors, lack of Multitouch and improved handwriting recognition, lack of Windows Media Center, additional games, the ability to act as a Remote Desktop host, support for multiple physical processors. These features are present in the following editions of Windows 7.

Also Windows 7 Starter, Home Basic and Home Premium do not have a Windows XP emulator, EFS data encryption system, location-based printing, or the ability to connect to a Windows NT domain. These versions cannot be downgraded to Windows XP or Vista. And only the Corporate and Maximum versions support a multilingual user environment.

The differences between Windows 7 versions also include support end date and maximum RAM size for 64-bit versions. Support for all versions except Professional and Enterprise ends on January 13, 2015; Professional and Enterprise versions are supported for 5 years longer. Concerning amount of RAM, The Starter edition supports up to 2 GB, Home Basic - up to 8 GB, Home Premium - up to 16 GB, and Professional, Enterprise and Ultimate - up to 192 GB (all figures are for 64-bit versions, since the 32-bit version any OS supports no more than 3.25 GB of RAM).

Here is a summary of all the main differences between the versions of Windows 7. Version selection depends on the configuration of your computer, the minimum functionality you need and, of course, the amount of money you are willing to pay for the operating system.

More and more often on the Internet (usually on forums or on social networks) I come across an approach to choosing an edition of Windows 7 that I do not understand. As many surveys and discussions show, the vast majority of users use the Windows 7 Ultimate edition.

When asked why this is so, the answers are very different, both adequate and not so adequate. Eg “I want ALL the features of Windows 7” , “Ultimate is faster” and so on. Many people don’t even know why they created this edition. Some probably think that if they install the Professional or Maximum edition, they automatically become professionals... The worst thing is that even when users are interested in the prices of “7-ku”, they look straight at... Maximum! And then “in shock” they write: “ I'm not a complete idiot, throwing out 12 pieces on Windows”…

Therefore, I decided to write the differences between some editions of this OS and show that for home use there is no need to install the Windows 7 Ultimate edition, in most cases there is no need to even install the Professional edition.

So, let’s briefly describe the functionality of each edition, the differences between them, and examples of the need to use one or another edition.

Windows 7 Home Basic

Windows 7 Home Basic edition is the entry-level edition that is aimed at customers with low-cost computers. It has all the benefits of Windows 7 (security, reliability, speed, active thumbnails, advanced networking support, etc.)

But compared to Home Premium, it does not have a number of the following features:

Improved navigation and window customization with enhancements to the Microsoft Aero desktop;
the ability to create a homegroup to facilitate file sharing among networked computers and devices;
the ability to watch Internet TV and record TV shows on your computer using Windows Media Center;
remote media streaming and improved support for various media formats.

In what cases is it worth buying this edition? If you do not have a new computer and the video card does not support Aero. In all other cases, I would recommend purchasing the Home Extended.

Windows 7 Home Premium

Windows 7 Home Premium is the best edition for home users. Easily connect to other computers and devices in an interface that's packed with visuals to make your daily tasks easier and more fun. This release of the OS supports the creation of a HomeGroup, which allows you to share various content with other networked Windows 7 computers, such as your favorite photos, videos, or music files. And thanks to the ability to easily connect to Internet TV with Windows Media Center, you can watch TV shows from anywhere.

Compared to Professional, it does not have the following features:

joining a domain;
advanced backup and recovery;
encrypted file system for data protection;
Windows XP mode for running legacy business applications in Windows XP;
local group policy editor;
Network Location Aware Printing, which helps you set different default printers on your network;
ability to connect to a computer using Remote Desktop Connection.

This edition has all the necessary features for full use at home. The same features that are not presented in it are overwhelmingly not needed by users. Indeed, do many people have a domain structure deployed at home? Do they need the ability to connect to a domain? I think no. Backup is performed to external media or to a network folder. Will most home users use this? I doubt. Encrypted FS? Also no. Maybe Windows XP mode is needed? Tell me at least one application that is necessary on a home computer, and which does not run under 7.

I'm not saying that there are absolutely no users who find the features of this release insufficient. There are some, but they are clearly not the overwhelming majority. As a rule, these are people who use a computer as a work tool, and therefore they can afford to pay more for a Professional edition.

Windows 7 Professional

Windows 7 Professional combines all the business features you need with the entertainment features of Windows 7 Home Premium. You'll be able to run a variety of Windows XP productivity programs directly from Windows 7 or using Windows XP mode, and easily restore data with automatic backup capabilities on your home or work network. Connecting to company networks has become easier and safer.

There is a group of users who lack the capabilities provided by the Windows 7 Home Premium edition. Some people need Remote Desktop Connection features, some deploy a domain structure at home, some work at home with older software that requires the Windows XP environment. In these cases, it makes sense to purchase this edition.

Compared to Ultimate, it does not have the following features:

Microsoft BitLocker™ and BitLocker To Go™ drive encryption and data protection on internal and external drives and storage devices;
DirectAccess technology for a more secure connection to the corporate network via the Internet;
Microsoft BranchCache technology, which provides accelerated access to content from remote branch file and web servers;
Microsoft AppLocker™ technology, which prevents unauthorized software from running on employee computers;
Enterprise search scopes that make it easier to discover and search content on intranet portals;
Multilingual user interface packages that provide operation in any of 35 languages.

Windows 7 Ultimate

Windows 7 Ultimate is the most feature-rich and powerful edition designed to meet the needs of enterprise customers and consumers who need the full Windows 7 experience. This edition lets you work productively anywhere, improves security and control, and optimizes PC management. It also provides a flexible interface with support for various languages.

The functionality of this edition that is not in the Professional edition is described a little higher. And now name me at least one of them that could be at least somehow useful at home use! None of this for home users no need! Moreover, often these features are not needed even by corporate users, provided, of course, that the organization's network infrastructure is not built on the basis of 2008 R2.

So why do more than 70% of our home users use this particular edition? Why?!!

Windows 7 version differences and which Windows 7 is better? This question worries everyone who wants to reinstall or install the Windows 7 operating system on their laptop or computer.

Which windows 7 is better?

Despite the abundance of new versions of the Windows operating system and the end of support for version 7, it still has quite a lot of adherents. This is not surprising, according to many experts - this is one of the most successful versions from Microsoft. But even within one generation, there are several operating system options, which leaves the user with a rather difficult choice. Let's try to figure it out: what is the difference between them?

Why do we need different versions of Windows 7?

There are millions of users of this operating system. Each of them has their own requirements, preferences and tastes. In addition, everyone has different financial capabilities. Therefore, there is absolutely no reason to spend $300 on a more expensive full-featured version if the user needs a minimum set of functions, which will cost almost half the price. Therefore, after studying the requirements and preferences of potential buyers, Microsoft developed and released several versions of the Windows 7 operating system:
Starter Edition;
Home Basic;
Home Premium;
Professional (Professional Edition);
Maximum (Ultimate Edition);
Corporate (Enterprise).
It’s easy to get confused in such a variety, so before choosing a specific OS, you should familiarize yourself with the features of all

The main differences between the starter and home versions
It’s worth mentioning right away that the Starter Edition of the OS is supplied only under an OEM license. That is, only with equipment. For example, when buying a new laptop. It has high performance, which is ensured by minimizing the tools used. Features include working in a home group and good compatibility of services and applications. However, it is impossible to buy it at retail - this license is not for sale.
The Home Basic version is only available for sale in developing countries. Its cost is about 100 US dollars. It has a modest interface without additional visual effects, and good performance even on “weak” computers and laptops. But the premium version of Home Premium for home use has become the best option for many users - efficiency and speed are successfully combined with a friendly, designer-designed interactive Aero Glass interface, a built-in media center, ample networking capabilities and multi-touch technology for touch panels and touchpads.
Purchasing the Home Premium version will cost about $150. It's important to note that both home variants support 64-bit platforms, unlike the launch one, which is only available for 32-bit devices.

Benefits of Windows 7 Professional Edition
“Business class” version - allows you to join a domain, increase the reliability of data storage by creating backup copies, and configure the operation of a computer or laptop for both a work and home network. Also, the professional version allows you to make backup copies of not only individual files, but the entire operating system as a whole.
Also, this OS already provides the ability to encrypt data, which significantly increases the reliability of data protection. If the software used for work is not supported by Windows 7, then the user will be offered a compatibility mode that will allow him to work using familiar software. But the cost of such a system will vary between 200-230 dollars.

Windows 7 Ultimate - everything to the maximum
The name speaks for itself - everything that could be provided in the Windows 7 release is present here. Multilingual support erases any boundaries. Computer optimization functions allow you to get the most out of your equipment, using its full power. With such a system, you don’t have to worry about data security - data encryption and the BitLocker data protection feature will take care of this. If you use a connection to corporate networks, the data will be protected by DirectAccess technology. With Microsoft AppLocker technology, computers can be protected from running unauthorized programs. For corporate work, Windows 7 Ultimate makes it easy to search for data on your work intranet. Of course, such a list of benefits comes with a corresponding price tag—approximately $300.

Windows 7 Enterprise – for corporations only
In essence, this version of the Windows 7 operating system is completely identical to Ultimate, but offers a special licensing scheme for corporate users. System administrators can successfully use the data protection capabilities of BitLocker and DirectAccess security. And Microsoft AppLocker tools will allow you to control the workflow and the use of third-party software.

How to choose the best version of Windows 7?

Before you start choosing, you need to find out the bit capacity of your processor, since choosing the wrong option will either not allow you to install the operating system at all, or will lead to its incorrect operation. It is important to remember that Starter Edition is not available for 64-bit hardware.
When going shopping, you should decide on the amount that the user is willing to pay, since the difference of 150-200 dollars is very significant, especially for residents of poor countries. Therefore, if you have modest financial resources, it would be wise to opt for home versions - they will provide all the necessary functionality that this category of people requires. This mainly involves storing and viewing photos and videos, studying, listening to music, surfing the Internet, and working in simple editors. It is also the best choice for low-power computers.
If financial capabilities and hardware level allow, then the best option would be to choose Windows 7 Ultimate. This option is also for those who have a clear idea of what tools they need and have sufficient experience in setting up and optimizing the operating system - in this case, this will allow them to streamline their work at the computer as much as possible.
For representatives of corporations, the Corporate Edition will be an option. It provides high-quality information protection and ample opportunities for administration and work on intranets.
For representatives of business class, the Professional release is ideal. The data protection techniques used in it will allow you to safely work and transfer any information, including financial information.

Why are builds based on Windows 7 so popular?
Assemblies are special collections of tools and software that allow you to configure and prepare a computer, laptop or netbook from scratch. This kit usually includes tools for working with hard drives and testing equipment. The kit also includes one or even several versions of the Windows family of operating systems. They are often supplemented by a set of application software that is most often installed: office suites, players, image editors, programs for working on the network. These software collections are really very popular because they allow you to completely automate the process of installing the operating system, software, and performing basic settings. To use them, it is enough to have general cultural knowledge about the operating features of the OS. You just need to select the version, specify the necessary programs and wait an hour and a half maximum. In addition, they allow you to have everything “at hand”, on one or two flash drives.

Don't know which operating system is better: Windows 7 Ultimate or Professional? You have a difficult choice ahead of you, but you can definitely decide!

So which is better? Windows 7 Ultimate or Professional? In general, some experts believe that it is unreasonable to compare these two areas, because they both have certain criteria and improvements in different areas.

What operating systems are there on the Windows 7 platform? Basic option

There are currently 6 operating systems in total.

Initial. The weakest platform, which does not support various extensions and generally has basic configurations. Its price varies between 2,000 rubles. Interestingly, it comes out only in 32-bit format, so for modern powerful computers this is the worst option, which does not even justify its price. In addition, it is not suitable for DVD playback or creation.
Home Basic. It costs 2-3 times more than the previous one, but is well worth the money. Suitable for computers with low to medium performance. The most important difference is the presence of a performance center. 32 bit and 64 bit version.

These are the initial options that are most often installed on netbooks. They have reduced capabilities, the simplest functionality and interface. These operating systems are not recommended for use.

Middle option

Another version is Home Extended. Although it is not Windows 7 Ultimate 64 bit, it is quite good and worth the money.

Home extended. This version is no longer basic; it costs about 6,000 rubles. The version is 64-bit, suitable for computers with average performance. This operating system has many graphical innovations, ranging from changing the home screen wallpaper to support for the Aero effect. Suitable for browser games and light strategies.

Overall, this is an ideal option for home use.

Professional option

And the best variations are Windows 7 Ultimate or Professional. What's better? Find out from the functionality and compare the possibilities!

Professional. A more complex and developed version of the operating system that opens up new possibilities. The cost varies between 9,000 rubles, but the price is justified by a wide range of different new products. It is great for online and computer games. In general, it is designed to work with archivers and application packages.
Maximum. Windows 7 Ultimate 64 bit is one of the best solutions to purchase. Price - 12,000 rubles. It has many useful functions that, at first glance, are completely unnecessary for the average user. Old improved features and completely new ones are the best choice. There are good 32-bit extensions, but with reduced functionality.

Corporate. It differs from Maximum in several ways of activation on different devices connected via the network. Overall not worth the money. Experts almost always recommend choosing the Maximum operating system, because in the Corporate version not all applications may be free. It is perfect for use in large companies, and one user does not need this version.

In general, all systems are good for something specific. If you need a simple interface and legible functionality, then take a closer look at the initial versions. More complex, advanced parts require investment, but the result will definitely please you!

Which is better - Windows 7 Ultimate or Professional?

Once you've become familiar with the major platforms, it's time to learn more about each of them and make comparisons. What is special about the Professional and Maximum operating systems?

A professional operating system, or Professional, has the following characteristics:

the price varies within 9,000 rubles;
all applications that were launched on older versions can be launched in new editors;
the version can be either 64-bit or 32-bit;
if the version is 32-bit, then it has 4 GB of memory, but if it is 64-bit, then the amount of RAM reaches 192 GB;
the operating system has 2 physical processors;
function of emulation of outdated software, in particular Windows Vista;
it is possible to encrypt data from intruders;
advanced backup and recovery (it is possible to create an entire backup network within one system);
Printing of paper documents is done taking into account the network location, hence, it helps to use various printers for both work and home use.

Windows 7 Ultimate 64 bit: description

The next step is a description of the 64-bit and 32-bit platforms of Windows 7 Ultimate.

The Maximum or Ultimate operating system has the following characteristics.

Multi-stage and applications. Also protects data on external and internal storage devices.
Technologies exist for secure network connections.
Multilingual interface. In a comparison of Windows 7 Ultimate and Professional versions according to the criterion: “Language selection”, the Professional operating system wins.
There is technology that makes accessing websites much faster.
Protection against unlicensed software.
The cost varies between 12,000 rubles.
There are 2 types of version, the software characteristics are the same with the Professional version.
What is the difference between Windows 7 Ultimate and Professional? Increased functionality and advanced data encryption methods.

Conclusion

Thus, we managed to find out which is better: Windows 7 Maximum or Professional for certain The most important differences are the price, which for the Maximum version is several times higher than the price of Professional and improved functionality. If you choose between Windows 7 Ultimate, which has quite a lot of positive reviews, and Professional, be sure to consider the purpose of the purchase. In addition, it is worth taking into account the specifics of your financial situation.

Windows 7 was released on October 22, 2009 in the form of 11 versions of the operating system: Starter, Home Basic, Home Premium, Professional, Enterprise and Ultimate. All versions except Starter (32 bit only) have sub-variants with 32-bit and 64-bit architecture. The enterprise version of Windows 7 is functionally identical to the Ultimate version, with the exception of differences in licensing rules (purchase and use rules) and stated end of support dates. Below is a table showing differences between Windows 7 versions.

Windows 7 - version differences

Version name:	Initial	home Basic	Home extended	Professional	Corporate	Maximum
Terms of purchase:	Only under OEM licenses	Retail and OEM licenses (emerging markets only)	Retail and OEM licenses	Retail, OEM and corporate licenses	Only with corporate licenses	Retail and OEM licenses
End of support:	13.01.2015	13.01.2015	13.01.2015	14.01.2020	14.01.2020	13.01.2015
64-bit version:	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Maximum RAM size for 64-bit versions:	2 GB	8 GB	16 GB	128 GB	128 GB	128 GB
Windows Recovery Center:	No domain support	No domain support	No domain support	Yes	Yes	Yes
Home Group feature, creating and joining a group:	Join only	Join only	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Windows Aero interface:	No	Basic theme only	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Multiple monitors:	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Fast user switching:	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Changing the desktop picture:	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Desktop Manager:	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Windows Mobility Center:	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Improved handwriting recognition and Multitouch:	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Windows Media Center:	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Additional games:	No	No	Yes	Disabled by default	Disabled by default	Yes
Emulator	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes
EFS data encryption system:	No	No	No		Yes	Yes
Printing based on location information:	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes
Ability to act as a remote desktop host:	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes
Connecting to a domain:	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes
Possibility to go to:	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes
Support for multiple hardware processors:	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes
AppLocker:	No	No	No	No	Yes	Yes
BitLocker and BitLocker To Go:	No	No	No	No	Yes	Yes
Branch Cache:	No	No	No	No	Yes	Yes
DirectAccess:	No	No	No	No	Yes	Yes
Subsystem for launching Unix applications:	No	No	No	No	Yes	Yes
Multilingual user environment:	No	No	No	No	Yes	Yes
Downloading from a VHD image file of Microsoft Virtual PC:	No	No	No	No	Yes	Yes
Launching the snap-ins lusrmgr.msc (Local Users and Groups), gpedit.msc (Local Group Policy Editor), secpol.msc (Local Security Policy):	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes

When compiling this table, data was used from the sites: microsoft.com, wikipedia.org.

To be able to install any version of Windows, if you have Windows 7 Ultimate, you must remove the release configuration file from the distribution: sourcesei.cfg. Do not forget that in the 64-bit version of Windows 7, Starter does not exist.

Windows 7 32 bit or 64?

Most users have the opinion that 64-bit editions Windows 7 faster than 32-bit. In fact, this is true, but only with the adjustment that the application must support x64 architecture, and even in this case, the difference in performance with applications that only support x86 architecture will not be significant.

Choice of 32 or 64-bit version of Windows 7 Basically, only 2 factors influence: whether the computer’s processor (CPU) supports x64 architecture and the amount of installed RAM. And if with the processor everything is extremely simple: almost all new processors can work with 64-bit applications (in case of doubt, especially if the computer was purchased a long time ago, this issue should be clarified), then the amount of RAM plays a decisive role when choosing the bit depth of the operating system Windows 7. 32-bit Windows can only work with no more than 4 GB. RAM is the limit for the x86 architecture. And if the computer has 4 GB installed. and more RAM, then for its entire volume to be available, a 64-bit version of the OS is required. It also makes no sense to operate a 64-bit OS with a small amount of RAM: Windows with x64 architecture consumes, on average, 300 MB more RAM than its 32-bit version. Therefore, before you say anything, you must first understand the purpose and capabilities of these platforms. And outdated software can be used on XP and other, older OSes. It all depends on the purpose for which you purchased the PC or Laptop.

Nikolay (NIL), you are also wrong! 32-bit versions support more than 4 GB, if only because Win2K Server could work with 128 GB of memory using PAE mode (https://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/PAE). Another thing is that in practice, each program can be allocated no more than 2 GB, although the program can address up to 4 GB (and if the programmer wishes, even more). Moreover, in 32-bit systems, not 3.25 GB or even 3.5 GB will be used, but all 4 GB, but part of them, usually 1/8 (that is, about 0.5 GB), is used by the system to work with peripheral devices and expansion cards. In 64-bit systems, the system naturally also uses part of the memory for its needs, but for some reason the full amount of memory is shown in the system properties.