Six Flavours of Windows 7
I’m starting to get enthused about Windows 7. Not so excited that I would stand in a line overnight to be the first to own a copy, mind, but I may actually be putting a PC back in the running for my next computer. One thing I am not so thrilled about is the six different versions to choose between.
Come on, guys. Mac has it right - one version of the OS for desktop use, another for server configurations. Do you really need a separate version for:
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Netbooks (essentially, a stripped-down driver-free version that can fit on solid state flash drives)
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Home “basic” Version (for emerging markets where piracy is a problem - do people seriously pay for these crippled versions when they can steal the full thing for nothing?)
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Home Premium (by all accounts nothing is “premium” about this version, it’s just the standard consumer-level version)
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Professional (meaning what, exactly?)
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Enterprise (for offices - the difference between this any professional has to do with site licensing)
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Ultimate (includes all the above)
I charge that the “Ultimate” version should be the “Only” version. Microsoft should quit playing games and obfuscating its software licenses - just sell the product; don’t make customers research all of the possible variations on features and functionality.