Datasheet

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Part I: Surviving Setup
The biggest reason to go 64-bit is RAM: after all, 64-bit versions of Windows 7 can access
far more RAM than 32-bit versions (up to 192GB, depending on which version of Windows 7
you’re talking about, compared to less than 4GB of RAM in 32-bit versions).
Folks, with one minor exception, it’s time to say good-bye to 32-bit versions of Windows.
So with Windows 7, almost universally, we recommend that you seek out 64-bit (x64)
versions instead.
What is the one exception? Many netbook computers come with a version of Intel’s Atom
microprocessor that is incompatible with the x64 instruction set, and thus with x64 versions
of Windows 7. On such a PC, you will need to use a 32-bit version of Windows 7 instead.
And that’s just fine: given the limited usage scenarios for these computing lightweights,
that’s perfectly acceptable. It’s also the exception to the rule.
Step 2: Whittling a Little Further
Rationale aside, you may be looking back over the preceding list and thinking, well,
hold on a second there: that’s still four product editions. Is Microsoft really simplifying
anything? Yes, because the vast majority of Windows 7 users will really have to consider
only two of these product editions:
Windows 7 Home Premium
Windows 7 Professional
Microsoft and its partners will focus most of their efforts selling Windows 7 Home Premium
and Professional to the retail and consumer markets (and Enterprise to volume licensing
business customers). That means most consumers will simply have two options when it comes
to Windows 7: Home Premium and Pro—just like with XP when that OS first shipped.
Meanwhile, Ultimate and Starter are, by definition, niche products that are available
only to address low-volume but important markets. But what really makes this work is the
previously mentioned “Russian stacking doll” structure whereby each version is a true
superset of the one below it. This is a huge and important change.
Step 3: Understanding the Differences Between the
Product Editions
Once you’ve whittled the list down to two or four contenders, it’s time to evaluate them
and understand which features are available in each product edition. There are vari-
ous ways to present this kind of information, but we find that tables, logically divided
by category, are easy on the eyes and mind. Tables 1-1 through 1-9 summarize how the
product editions stack up.
Contrary to the conventional wisdom, 64-bit software isn’t magically faster than
32-bit software. That said, 64-bit PCs running a 64-bit version of Windows 7 and
native 64-bit software can often outperform 32-bit alternatives. But that’s because
you can stick far more RAM in the 64-bit machine: systems with massive amounts
of memory just aren’t as constrained and can operate to their full potential.