Windows 7 Product Editions: A Comparison

Back in February, I wrote an article, Windows 7 Product Editions, in which I discussed the various SKUs (stock keeping units, or product editions) that Microsoft would provide with its next operating system. Now, with nearly fully-functional versions of each product edition available to the public, I thought I’d provide a series of tables comparing each Windows 7 product editon, similar in scope to the work I did documenting Windows Vista.

I believe these tables will help you pick which Windows 7 product edition makes the most sense for you, based on your needs and wants. Let’s dive right in.


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Note: This set of tables has been updated for the final, shipping versions of Windows 7. Unlike similar comparisons, these tables were generated using not by simply observering each product edition, but also by using Microsoft’s internal reporting mechanisms to determine exactly which features are, in fact, available in each version. For this reason, I can reasonably state that this is the most complete and accurate list of Windows 7 features anywhere. That said, I’m still human and could have made mistakes transcribing the information. If you see anything wrong or missing, or would like to see a certain feature added, please contact me.
Finding what you need

Availability     User interface features
Security features     Performance features
Reliability features     Bundled applications
Digital media and devices     Networking features
Mobility features     Enterprise features

Availability

Home Basic     Starter     Home Premium     Professional     Enterprise & Ultimate
Retail packaging                 Yes     Yes     Ult. only
Can purchase electronically                 Yes     Yes     Ult. only
Pricing: Full version                 $199.99     $299.99     $319.99 (Ult)
Pricing: Upgrade version                 $119.99     $199.99     $219.99 (Ult.)
Bundled with new PCs in major markets           Yes     Yes     Yes     Ult. only
Windows Anytime Upgrade (WAU)     Yes     Yes     Yes     Yes
WAU pricing/To Home Premium     $79.99     $79.99
WAU pricing/To Professional           $114.99     $89.99
WAU pricing/To Ultimate     $164.99     $164.99     $139.99     $129.99
Virtualization rights (Can be installed in a virtual environment)                 Yes     Yes     Yes

User interface features

Home Basic     Starter     Home Premium     Professional     Enterprise & Ultimate
Windows Basic UI     Yes     Yes     Yes     Yes     Yes
Windows Standard UI     Yes           Yes     Yes     Yes
Windows Aero UI (“Glass”)                 Yes     Yes     Yes
Aero Peek                 Yes     Yes     Yes
Aero Snaps     Yes     Yes     Yes     Yes     Yes
Aero Shake                 Yes     Yes     Yes
Aero Background                 Yes     Yes     Yes
Libraries     Yes     Yes     Yes     Yes     Yes
Windows Flip     Yes     Yes     Yes     Yes     Yes
Windows Flip 3D                 Yes     Yes     Yes
Live Taskbar Previews     Yes           Yes     Yes     Yes
Live Preview (Explorer)                 Yes     Yes     Yes
Jump Lists     Yes     Yes     Yes     Yes     Yes
Windows Search     Yes     Yes     Yes     Yes     Yes

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Security features

Home Basic     Starter     Home Premium     Professional     Enterprise & Ultimate
More granular UAC     Yes     Yes     Yes     Yes     Yes
Action Center     Yes     Yes     Yes     Yes     Yes
Windows Defender     Yes     Yes     Yes     Yes     Yes
Windows Firewall     Yes     Yes     Yes     Yes     Yes
IE 8 Protected Mode and DEP support     Yes     Yes     Yes     Yes     Yes
Windows Update (can access Microsoft Update)     Yes     Yes     Yes     Yes     Yes
Fast User Switching     Yes           Yes     Yes     Yes
Parental Controls     Yes     Yes     Yes     Yes     Yes

Performance features

Home Basic     Starter     Home Premium     Professional     Enterprise & Ultimate
Windows ReadyDrive     Yes     Yes     Yes     Yes     Yes
Windows ReadyBoost     Yes     Yes     Yes     Yes     Yes
SuperFetch     Yes     Yes     Yes     Yes     Yes
64-bit processor support     No     No     Yes     Yes     Yes
Physical processor support     1     1     1     2     2
Processor core support     Unlimited     Unlimited     Unlimited     Unlimited     Unlimited
Max RAM (32-bit)     4 GB     4 GB     4 GB     4 GB     4 GB
Max RAM (64-bit)     n/a     n/a     16 GB     192 GB     192 GB

Reliability features

Home Basic     Starter     Home Premium     Professional     Enterprise & Ultimate
Windows Backup     Yes     Yes     Yes     Yes     Yes
System image     Yes     Yes     Yes     Yes     Yes
Problem Steps Recorder     Yes     Yes     Yes     Yes     Yes
Backup to network                       Yes     Yes
Encrypting File System (EFS)                       Yes     Yes
BitLocker                             Yes
BitLocker To Go                             Yes
Automatic hard disk defragmentation     Yes     Yes     Yes     Yes     Yes
Previous Versions     Yes     Yes     Yes     Yes     Yes
Create and attach (mount) VHD     Yes     Yes     Yes     Yes     Yes

Bundled applications

Home Basic     Starter     Home Premium     Professional     Enterprise & Ultimate
Internet Explorer 8     Yes     Yes     Yes     Yes     Yes
Windows Gadgets and Gallery     Yes     Yes     Yes     Yes     Yes
Games Explorer with basic games (FreeCell, Hearts, Minesweeper, Purble Palace, Solitaire, Spider Solitaire)     Yes     Yes     Yes     Yes     Yes
Premium games (Internet Backgammon, Internet Checkers, Internet Spades, Mahjong Titans)                 Yes     Yes     Yes
Calculator     Yes     Yes     Yes     Yes     Yes
Paint     Yes     Yes     Yes     Yes     Yes
Snipping Tool                 Yes     Yes     Yes
Sticky Notes                 Yes     Yes     Yes
Windows Journal                 Yes     Yes     Yes
Windows Fax and Scan     Yes     Yes     Yes     Yes     Yes
Windows PowerShell and ISE     Yes     Yes     Yes     Yes     Yes
WordPad     Yes     Yes     Yes     Yes     Yes
XPS Viewer     Yes     Yes     Yes     Yes     Yes

Digital media and devices

Home Basic     Starter     Home Premium     Professional     Enterprise & Ultimate
Windows Photo Viewer     Yes     Yes     Yes     Yes     Yes
Basic photo slide shows     Yes     Yes     Yes     Yes     Yes
Windows Media Player 12 with Play To     Yes     Yes     Yes     Yes     Yes
Windows Media Player Remote Media Experience                 Yes     Yes     Yes
MPEG-2 decoding                 Yes     Yes     Yes
Dolby Digital compatibility                 Yes     Yes     Yes
AAC and H.264 decoding     Yes     Yes     Yes     Yes     Yes
DVD playback                 Yes     Yes     Yes
Can install MPEG-2 (DVD playback) add-in     Yes     Yes     n/a     n/a     n/a
Windows Media Center                 Yes     Yes     Yes
Number of TV tuners supported                 4 of each type (analog, digital, etc.)     4 of each type (analog, digital, etc.)     4 of each type (analog, digital, etc.)
Windows DVD Maker                 Yes     Yes     Yes
Device Stage     Yes     Yes     Yes     Yes     Yes
Sync Center     Yes     Yes     Yes     Yes     Yes

Networking features

Home Basic     Starter     Home Premium     Professional     Enterprise & Ultimate
SMB connections     20     20     20     20     20
Network and Sharing Center     Yes     Yes     Yes     Yes     Yes
HomeGroup sharing     Join only     Join only     Yes     Yes     Yes
Ad-hoc network create and join     Yes     Yes, but accessible only via Start Menu Search     Yes     Yes     Yes
Improved power management     Yes     Yes     Yes     Yes     Yes
Connect to a Projector     Yes     Yes     Yes     Yes     Yes
Remote Desktop     Yes     Yes     Yes     Yes     Yes
Remote Desktop Host                       Yes     Yes
IIS Web Server                 Yes     Yes     Yes
RSS support     Yes     Yes     Yes     Yes     Yes
Internet Connection Sharing     Yes           Yes     Yes     Yes
Network Bridge     Yes           Yes     Yes     Yes
Offline files                       Yes     Yes

Mobility features

Home Basic     Starter     Home Premium     Professional     Enterprise & Ultimate
Windows Mobility Center     Yes (No presentation mode)           Yes (No presentation mode)     Yes     Yes
Windows Sideshow (Auxilliary display)                 Yes     Yes     Yes
Sync Center     Yes     Yes     Yes     Yes     Yes
Tablet PC functionality                 Yes     Yes     Yes
Multi-Touch support                 Yes     Yes     Yes

Enterprise features

Home Basic     Starter     Home Premium     Professional     Enterprise & Ultimate
Domain join (Windows Server)                       Yes     Yes
XP Mode licensed                       Yes     Yes
AppLocker                             Yes
Boot from VHD                             Yes
BranchCache                             Yes
DirectAccess                             Yes
Federated Search (Enterprise Search Scopes)                             Yes
Multilingual User Interface (MUI) Language Packs                             Yes
Location-aware printing                       Yes     Yes
Subsystem for UNIX-based Applications                             Yes

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