Datasheet

Choosing a Windows 7 Edition 3
Windows 7 Home Basic This is available only in certain countries referred to as emerging
markets, and it includes very limited capabilities. It will not be available in the United States.
Windows 7 Home Premium Windows 7 Home Premium is designed for home users. It
includes the Windows Media Center, which can be used to record and play back TV shows
or other media. It can also easily integrate on a home network with other devices such as
Xbox gaming systems. Systems running this edition can’t join a domain.
If you’re a desktop support technician or desktop administrator working in an enter-
prise, you’ll focus on the following three editions used in work environments:
Windows 7 Professional Windows 7 Professional is intended for high-end home users and
small-business users. It can join a domain, support a remote desktop, and run applications
in a virtual environment using Windows XP Mode. It does lack some of the more advanced
features.
Windows 7 Enterprise T h e Windows 7 Enterprise edition is available only to organiza-
tions that have a Software Assurance contract with Microsoft and is purchased through a
volume license. Home users won’t have access to this, but businesses with as few as five PCs
can purchase Software Assurance.
Some key features included in this edition are BitLocker, AppLocker, and BranchCache.
Each of these will be explored in greater depth in later chapters. BitLocker (covered in
Chapter 11, “Managing Security in Windows 7”) can be used to protect data on both
internal and external drives, including USB flash drives. AppLocker (covered in Chapter 6,
“Configuring and Troubleshooting Application Issues”) can be used to prevent unauthor-
ized software from running. BranchCache (covered in Chapter 12, “Supporting Mobile
Windows 7 Users”) allows clients in remote locations to cache data used by others in the
same location.
Windows 7 Ultimate T h e Windows 7 Ultimate edition includes all of the features found
in the Enterprise edition, and home users using a single license can purchase it instead of
going through the Software Assurance program. Home users can upgrade to Windows 7
Ultimate from either Windows 7 Home Premium or Windows 7 Professional.
Windows 7 Ultimate doesn’t include any “ultimate extras” as Windows
Vista Ultimate did. These “extras” in Windows Vista were advertised to
entice some users to purchase Windows Vista Ultimate. Instead of get-
ting extras not available elsewhere, the reason to purchase Windows 7
Ultimate is to have the features found in the Enterprise edition, such as
BitLocker, AppLocker, and BranchCache.
Table 1.1 shows a comparison of many of the features included in Windows 7 Professional,
Windows 7 Enterprise, and Windows 7 Ultimate. Since there is very little difference between
Enterprise and Ultimate, they are shown in the same column. Some of the features that are
more relevant for desktop administrators working in an enterprise environment are covered
after the table.
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