Vista Flavors

[Dv8ted2]

click here

Get ready for multiple versions of Vista. It is official.

[waheed]

We've had one version of all Windows products and 2 of XP (Home and Pro).

Seems like Microsoft have gone crazy with multiple versions of Vista and its just going to create confusion amoung consumers.

[Faustus]

I don't think its confustion as much as trying to charge the power users every single penny they can get away with while cutting OEMs the same sweet deals they always have.

[Cobra]

Isn't the difference between XP Home and XP Pro just the corporate networking? I'm running XP Home and it's just fine for everything I need. There isn't a speed difference between them, is there?

As for Vista, well, given the choice between all of those I think I'd most likely go for the premium home flavour, but I'd be worried about two things:

- Not getting a fully-functional version of Windows, just a "cut down" version to save money
- Speed, will it be slower?

A Home and Pro version of Vista would be much better, and if Microsoft made sure that there wasn't a speed/functionality difference between the two for the average user like myself, I'd be happy.

I still want a Mac, though.

EDIT - As well as that, aren't they encouraging piracy by doing all of this? The average home user may worry that they can't afford the best Windows and that they're really losing out as a result, so they might be more likely to download it, perhaps?

[Dv8ted2]

Here is the important stuff about the different versions for people that do not want to visit the other site.

Windows Starter 2007 (Previously Windows Vista Starter Edition). This version does not use the Vista branding because it will not include the Aero graphics display found in the Vista line of products, and will only ship in a 32-bit version.

Windows Vista Home Basic (and Home Basic N). A simple version of Windows Vista that is aimed at single PC homes. Windows Vista Home Basic is the baseline version of Windows Vista, and the version that all other product editions will build from. Home Basic N is aimed at the EU and will lack Windows Media Player.

Windows Vista Home Premium. Whole home entertainment and personal productivity throughout the home and on the go. As a true superset of Home Basic, Windows Vista Home Premium Edition will include everything from Home Basic, as well as Media Center and Media Center Extender functionality (including Cable Card support).

Windows Vista Business (and Business N) (Previously Windows Vista Professional Edition). Windows Vista Business is roughly analogous to XP Pro today. This version is aimed at business decision makers and IT managers and generalists. Business N is aimed at the EU and will lack Windows Media Player.

Windows Vista Enterprise. Optimized for the enterprise, this version will be a true superset of Windows Vista Pro Edition. It will also include unique features such as Virtual PC, the multi-language user interface (MUI), and the Secure Startup/full volume encryption security technologies ("Cornerstone"). There is no analogous XP version for this product.

Windows Vista Ultimate. The best operating system ever offered for a personal PC, optimized for the individual. Windows Vista Ultimate Edition is a superset of both Vista Home Premium and Vista Business, so it includes all of the features of both of those product versions, plus other features.

What's missing from this list is Windows Vista Small Business Edition, which was to have been a superset of Vista Business with additional features presumably geared towards small businesses. As I noted in my September 2005 write-up, however, all of the product names were then placeholders and could have changed before the final product is released. This week, it's clear what those changes are. For more information, please refer to my Windows Vista Product Editions Preview on the SuperSite for Windows; I'll be republishing this document to match the known changes soon.

[e404pnf]

Windows Vista Ultimate. The best operating system ever offered for a personal PC...

If you disagree what do you think the M$ returns policy will be...? :P

[Dv8ted2]

Windows Vista Ultimate. The best operating system ever offered for a personal PC...

If you disagree what do you think the M$ returns policy will be...? :P

They would say no dice. :P

[RottenFoxBreath]

optimized for the individual

shouldnt they all be like that,ffs.

[waheed]

There isn't a speed difference between them, is there?

No speed difference between different versions. The difference is that the Pro version contains more features like Remote Desktop etc... than the Home version. Pro was more aimed at corporate users.

[Faustus]

Well the base version will be faster since it doesn't include the wizbang new interface but thats about it.

Note: Thats the first thing I'll be looking to turn off.

[Dv8ted2]

Well the base version will be faster since it doesn't include the wizbang new interface but thats about it.

Note: Thats the first thing I'll be looking to turn off.

Yep, me too. I will go back to the classic interface.

[energy80s]

No-one in their right mind will touch Vista as it is such a load of DRMed crap and bloatware. Windows 2000 is still the best OS out there. Even 98 is better than flaky XP which seems to cause programme crashes at a moments notice. As long as my software continues to run on 2000/XP Vista won't get a look in!

[Faustus]

Uhm... sorry to rain on your train of thought but XP is a great OS. Easy to work with and easy to troubleshoot.

It might be 2000 in concept but its far easier to work with then 2000 is.

[ROF]

No-one in their right mind will touch Vista as it is such a load of DRMed crap and bloatware. Windows 2000 is still the best OS out there. Even 98 is better than flaky XP which seems to cause programme crashes at a moments notice. As long as my software continues to run on 2000/XP Vista won't get a look in!

If you think Win98 is better than XP I guess we'll have to believe that the world is flat because that's how your map displays it.

Win98 better than XP. Thanks for the early AM laugh.

[energy80s]

No-one in their right mind will touch Vista as it is such a load of DRMed crap and bloatware. Windows 2000 is still the best OS out there. Even 98 is better than flaky XP which seems to cause programme crashes at a moments notice. As long as my software continues to run on 2000/XP Vista won't get a look in!

If you think Win98 is better than XP I guess we'll have to believe that the world is flat because that's how your map displays it.

Win98 better than XP. Thanks for the early AM laugh.

Well at least Win98 doesn't crash every half hour! I've used different flavours of XP and they all crash out. This machine (a BBC networked one) crashes with outlook every day or so. W2K doesn't have that problem. W98 is a great little system as it is easily hackable. ME & XP have been the worst two OS's since Windows 3.

[Jah_Rankin]

Win98 better than XP. Thanks for the early AM laugh. :lol

[energy80s]

Uhm... sorry to rain on your train of thought but XP is a great OS. Easy to work with and easy to troubleshoot.

It might be 2000 in concept but its far easier to work with then 2000 is.

Years of experience have shown this not to be the case. Unfortunately some newer programmes won't run under 2000 so I have to use XP, and the Beeb use it now on its machines.

[Faustus]

I've supported in mass ever version of Windows since 3.1. XP is a fine OS.

What you are discribing is a problem system, not the nature of the OS.

I also know many people who found out they had RAM problems, they had been running 98 with no issues for years and would get crashes when installing 2k. Didn't mean 2k sucked.

[ROF]

Well at least Win98 doesn't crash every half hour! I've used different flavours of XP and they all crash out. This machine (a BBC networked one) crashes with outlook every day or so. W2K doesn't have that problem. W98 is a great little system as it is easily hackable. ME & XP have been the worst two OS's since Windows 3.

You must have a different version of WinXP then I have on my Home Edition, Professional Edition, and Media Center. I rarely have a crash and certainly never a blue screen unless it's hardware related. Wish I could say the same for Win98. In any case, most windows crashes are related to third party software. Win98 is incapable of deciphering this and would crash entirely. WinXP simply crashes the APP and in most cases leaves the OS intact. Win2K is good but it's not my choice of OS so I have little experience with it. If not for it's overabundant limitations I'd take Win3.1 over all the OSs of today or yesterday. It's clean, small, simple, and does the job of an operating system.

[Cobra]

I suppose that personal preferences of operating system are like bubblegum flavours. Different, but they all do the same thing.

Why argue over it?

[e404pnf]

I've used different flavours of XP and they all crash out. This machine (a BBC networked one) crashes with outlook every day or so...

Took me a few reads to figure out how you got XP on a "BBC"...

[ROF]

Given those choices in the article I'd say that Windows Vista Home Premium is probably best suited to my needs. Depending on my experience at the level might determine whether Windows Vista Ultimate is a candidate forr installation here.

In any case, I'm looking forward to investing in a new windows OS.

[studtrooper]

Well at least Win98 doesn't crash every half hour!

ROFLMAO! Surely you all remember this treasure of the Win98 staple:



You'd be luck to only have to see that like 20 times a day. WinXP is near flawless. Get over it!

I've used different flavors of XP and they all crash out.

Maybe it's because your machine sucks?

[TBoneit]

The Main big problem with Win 98 ( 98SE) is/was the memory leaks and it reporting low memory because the fixed finite sized system resources were low. And that leads to the win 98 needs to be restarted daily or so to keep running smoothly. Never seen 200 or XP report low memory and Mine runs from saturday evening to monday morning working all the time encoding overnight for example and then author and burn by day. No crashes. And if a program does crash I can just close it and keep going, Win98 that usually means a reboot is needed.

Vista? I'm sure the day it is released customers will be looking for it. Me, No Thanks

[doppletwo]

In the five years that I used 98 a lot I experinced at least 1000 crahes.


In the three years that I have been mostly using XP I have experienced less 100 crashes and most of them were totally my fault.


And then there is the issue of networking. Anyone here ever try to setup a network using 98? That is a nightmare.


With XP anyone can setup a network in minutes, if not seconds.


XP vs 2000 ia not so clean cut.


XP is quite bloated compared to 2000, btu the bloat actually does make it easier to use.


I am using against bloated software, with XP the bloat works.


I Me had almost all of the bloat of XP, but none of the bloat actually worked properly.


If you are willing to put in the extra time to use 2000 you might as well be running Linux or something.


I have no reason to switch to Vista yet.


I have heard of no features that sound like they are for me. Vista sounds like it will be great for M$, but meh for the consumers.


I am quite unimpressed by ever piece of audio and/or video software that Microsoft has ever released.


I can do everything that Media Center claims to make possible using normal XP and other software. (One of the few things I can't do is stream video onto an Xbox360, but that is pretty lame anyways).

[Dv8ted2]

How did this go from a vista discussion to a XP flamefest and a 98 lovefest?

98 was good for what it was supposed to be at the time.

XP is IMHO better.

Can we please get back to Vista?

[energy80s]

Two words for you ... "Secure Computing"

That should kill off Windows Vista right there!

Oh, and my PC doesn't suck as I've had the same problems with XP on various machines. Even this BBC PC crashes out on Outlook every now and then for no apparent reason. Windows 2000 seems to be the best OS for video editing and W98 for audio editing. W98 very hackable - you can usually get anything to run on it. W2K very stable but not as user friendly and harder to get gadgets to run on it. Win XP .... blaggghh. "Your Program Has Suffered A Serious Internal Error And Will Terminate. Do You Wish To Tell Microsoft?" NO!

The only difference in a crash between W98 and XP is that whenever a programme crashes on XP it doesn't take the OS with it - however this doesn't help protect the data you are working on. I just wish 98 had a patch to enable file sizes bigger than 4Gb.

Anyway, as has been pointed out above, this is now somewhat off topic, so I'll leave it there. But I will say that by the looks of it, truely open computing will disappear once Vista takes a hold. Maybe it will be the final kick that Linux needs to become a good user friendly OS for the masses.

[ROF]

Two words for you ... "Secure Computing"

That should kill off Windows Vista right there!

Secure computing is a dream. To believe it's anything else is to believe in fairy tales.

Maybe it will be the final kick that Linux needs to become a good user friendly OS for the masses.

I certainly hope not. Look what the masses did to P2P file sharing. Linux is already a good user friendly OS. I just hope the masses never learn this.

[Dv8ted2]

Two words for you ... "Secure Computing"

That should kill off Windows Vista right there!

Oh, and my PC doesn't suck as I've had the same problems with XP on various machines. Even this BBC PC crashes out on Outlook every now and then for no apparent reason. Windows 2000 seems to be the best OS for video editing and W98 for audio editing. W98 very hackable - you can usually get anything to run on it. W2K very stable but not as user friendly and harder to get gadgets to run on it. Win XP .... blaggghh. "Your Program Has Suffered A Serious Internal Error And Will Terminate. Do You Wish To Tell Microsoft?" NO!

The only difference in a crash between W98 and XP is that whenever a programme crashes on XP it doesn't take the OS with it - however this doesn't help protect the data you are working on. I just wish 98 had a patch to enable file sizes bigger than 4Gb.

Anyway, as has been pointed out above, this is now somewhat off topic, so I'll leave it there. But I will say that by the looks of it, truely open computing will disappear once Vista takes a hold. Maybe it will be the final kick that Linux needs to become a good user friendly OS for the masses.

Your problem is with Office, not the operating system. Outlook is not a component of the windows xp operating system.

Now back to Vista....

[Faustus]

Yes back to Vista.

Its shiney. Discuss.