Windows 7 Feature Comparison – Which Edition Is Right For You
If you are thinking about buying Windows 7 or upgrading from a previous Windows version(Windows XP or Vista) – This guide would help you decide, which Windows 7 version would work out best for you. In this article we cover the differences between the different Windows 7 versions and help you pick the version which has all the features you need.
The Different Windows 7 Editions:
With the release of Every new Operating System –Microsoft has increased the number of product editions. Windows XP was released in 2 editions and Vista had over 9 different editions (double the number if you consider 64 bit versions as a separate edition).
Windows 7 on the other hand has clearly defined the differences in the various editions and thus we get a total of 5 different Windows 7 editions to choose from – Starter, Home Basic, Home Premium, Professional, Enterprise/Ultimate.
(Enterprise and Ultimate are same products – If you have a corporate license –it’s called Enterprise edition, but If an individual purchases it – its called the Ultimate edition)
That makes things much more easy as compared to Vista, but you still need to carefully evaluate the features from different editions to make the right decision.
Windows 7 Editions In A Nutshell:
The Windows 7 Editions are available in 5 editions as stated above. Four of these editions have both 32 and 64-bit versions (we would look at the differences below). That takes the total to 9 versions. Luckily most people need to concern themselves with just 3 versions.
Here we describe the editions in a nutshell.
1) Windows 7 Starter Edition: It’s a limited feature version that is available pre-installed only on netbooks. It doesn’t support the Aero Glass interface or let you change your desktop background wallpaper (Ouch!).
The Windows 7 Starter edition does not allow automatic network based backups. Other features that are missing – Media Center, Sticky Notes, Snipping Tool. This edition was aimed at Netbooks, to keep the pricing on the lower side.
2) Windows 7 Home Basic: This version is available only in developing/emerging countries and not available in US, Europe or other developed regions.
This was aimed at regions where the price of a full-blown OS would be expensive. The feature set is limited but better than the Starter edition.
3) Windows 7 Home Premium: When you buy a new computer with Windows 7 – chances are this edition would be pre-installed on your PC. It includes all the new features in Windows 7, however there are a couple of features missing.
You don’t get the Remote desktop Connection option with this edition. Another feature missing is the automatic backups of your computer over the network. (See Table Below)
4) Windows 7 Professional: This version of Windows 7 includes everything in Home Premium plus the ability to back up your computer over a network, Remote desktop connection. Other important feature included is “Encryption File System & BitLocker”. (Check Table Below)
5) Windows 7 Enterprise/Ultimate: These two versions are the same, with different names. If it’s used in corporate environment, its called the Enterprise edition and on personal computers it called Ultimate.
It has all the features of Windows 7 editions described above and adds some unique features of its own inclusion of all the language packs, Branch-Cache and the ability to use a VHD (virtual hard drive).
Features Availability in Each Edition:
From the overview you can understand the basic differences between the different editions, but to make an informed decision – we find that a feature comparison chart make a world of difference,since you get a bird eye view about what would be available in the specific edition you select.
If you are anything like me – you would want to scrutinize the features you would go for before you decide which OS would you be using for the next few years. The tables below classify the features in specific categories and show the how the different editions stack up against each other – This would make the decision making process a lot easier.
Windows 7 Editions - User Interface Features:
User Interface Features in Different Windows 7 Editions
Windows Feature Home Premium Professional Ultimate/Enterprise
Aero Snap
Yes Yes Yes Yes
Jump Lists
Yes Yes Yes Yes
Live Preview (Windows Explorer)
NA
Yes Yes Yes
Live Taskbar Previews
NA Yes Yes Yes
Windows Aero Glass effects
NA Yes Yes Yes
Windows Aero UI
NA Yes Yes Yes
Windows Flip
Yes Yes Yes Yes
Windows Flip 3D
NA Yes Yes Yes
Windows Search
Yes Yes Yes Yes
Aero Peek
NA
Yes Yes Yes
Windows 7 Editions - Safety, Security & Reliability Features:
Security and Reliability Features in different Windows 7 Editions.
Windows Feature Home Premium Professional Ultimate/Enterprise
Action Center Yes Yes Yes Yes
Automatic Defragmentation Yes Yes Yes Yes
Backup and Restore Yes Yes Yes Yes
Backup To Network NA NA Yes Yes
BitLocker NA NA NA Yes
Encryption File System (EFS) NA NA Yes Yes
Fast User Switching Yes Yes Yes Yes
Parental Controls Yes Yes Yes Yes
Previous Versions Yes Yes Yes Yes
System Image Yes Yes Yes Yes
User Account Control Yes Yes Yes Yes
Use Virtual Hard Drive (VHD) Yes Yes Yes Yes
Windows Backup Yes Yes Yes Yes
Windows Defender Yes Yes Yes Yes
Windows Firewall Yes Yes Yes Yes
Windows 7 Performance Features:
Various Performance features in Different Windows 7 Editions
Windows Feature Home Premium Professional Ultimate/Enterprise
64-bit Support Yes Yes Yes Yes
Max RAM (32-bit) 4GB 4GB 4GB 4GB
Max RAM (64-bit) 8GB 16GB 192GB 192GB
Physical Processor Support 1 2 2 2
Startup Repair Yes Yes Yes Yes
SuperFetch Yes Yes Yes Yes
System Restore Yes Yes Yes Yes
Windows Anytime Upgrade Yes Yes NA NA
Windows Easy Transfer Yes Yes Yes Yes
Windows Experience Index Yes Yes Yes Yes
Windows Readyboost Yes Yes Yes Yes
Windows ReadyDrive Yes Yes Yes Yes
Windows 7 Editions - Networking Features:
Various Networking related features in different Windows 7 Editions
Windows Feature Home Premium Professional Ultimate/Enterprise
Connect to a Projector Yes Yes Yes Yes
HomeGroup Sharing Join Only Yes Yes Yes
IIS Web Server Support NA Yes Yes Yes
Internet Connection Sharing (ICS) NA Yes Yes Yes
Network and Sharing Center Yes Yes Yes Yes
Network Bridge NA Yes Yes Yes
Offline files NA NA Yes Yes
Remote Desktop Connetion Yes Yes Yes Yes
Remote Desktop Host NA NA Yes Yes
SMB Connections 20 20 20 20
Windows 7 Editions - Digital Media & Entertainment Features:
Digital Media and Entertainment features in different Windows 7 Editions.
Windows Feature Home Premium Professional Ultimate/Enterprise
Windows Photo Viewer Yes Yes Yes Yes
Photo Slide Shows Yes Yes Yes Yes
WMP 12 with Play To Yes Yes Yes Yes
WMP 12 with Remote Media Streaming NA Yes Yes Yes
Dolby Digital compatibility NA Yes Yes Yes
DVD playback NA Yes Yes Yes
Windows Media Center NA Yes Yes Yes
Windows DVD Maker NA Yes Yes Yes
Windows Sync Center Yes Yes Yes Yes
DirectX 11 Yes Yes Yes Yes
Windows Gadgets Yes Yes Yes Yes
Internet TV NA Yes Yes Yes
Games Explorer Yes Yes Yes Yes
Multiplayer Games NA Yes Yes Yes
The 32-bit or 64-bit Windows 7 edition dilemma:
If you finalize a specific version of Windows 7 after checking out the features in the tables above, you still need to decide whether to go for the 32-Bit or 64-Bit editions.
These two editions look and feel the same on the surface, but a lot differs when it comes to performance on your machine. The 64-Bit edition can use a lot more memory on your machine, whereas the 32-Bit is limited to a 4GB of RAM access. 64-Bit is the future – every computer in 5 years down the line would be using a 64-Bit OS.
However, you may want to stick to a 32-bit version if you are currently upgrading an older machine. This is important since – older hardware doesn’t have drivers to support 64-Bit operations. On the other hand, if your computer is brand new it makes much more sense to go for a 64-Bit version.
Will 64-Bit Version Work On My PC?
Still can’t make up your mind? Well we have a solution for that.
Go to SecurAble site and download the SecurAble program. Read the instruction on the page before running it on your machine. This program tells you if your current hardware can support the 64-Bit version.
You can also use the Official Windows Upgrade Advisor to get an idea about which version to go for. You can access it here.
Windows 7 Minimum System Requirements:
- 1 GHz or faster 32-bit (x86) or 64-bit (x64) processor
- 1 GB of RAM (32-bit) / 2 GB RAM (64-bit)
- 16 GB available disk space (32-bit) / 20 GB (64-bit)
- DirectX 9 graphics processor with WDDM 1.0 or higher driver
- DVD-compatible drive
- Internet access (fees may apply)
Windows 7 Editions – Pricing:
We have divided the pricing in 3 different section. 1st section tells you the price for Windows 7 Editions if you are upgrading from a previous Windows OS like XP or Vista. 2nd section describes the pricing if you are buying full version. 3rd section is for the “Anytime Upgrade” feature – which lets you upgrade from a previous Windows 7 edition to a higher one.
Pricing for Windows 7 Upgrade:
- Windows 7 Home Premium Upgrade: $119.99
- Windows 7 Professional Upgrade: $199.99
- Windows 7 Ultimate Upgrade: $219.99
Pricing for Full Versions for Windows 7:
- Windows 7 Home Premium Full: $199.99
- Windows 7 Professional Full : $299.99
- Windows 7 Ultimate Full: $319.99
Pricing for Anytime Upgrade:
- Windows 7 Starter to Windows 7 Home Premium: $79.99
- Windows 7 Home Premium to Windows 7 Professional: $89.99
- Windows 7 Home Premium to Windows 7 Ultimate: $139.99
Conclusion – Buying the Right Windows 7 Edition:
This article pretty much covers everything you need to know before you make a final decision about the Windows 7 Edition you want to go for. Although Windows 7 also comes in a number of versions, its classification has been kept precise, when compared to Vista.
Starter edition should be used only for Netbooks. It has almost no fancy features and has a severe limitation – which allows only 3 applications to be run at one time.
For a regular user, the choice boils down to Home Premium and Professional edition. Home Premium has no feature limitations has the Aero Effect, and has ample entertainment and digital media features. Professional Edition just adds a few more features when compared to Home Premium – like EFS, Network backup and a few other user features.
Windows Ultimate is a serious deal – It packs all features of Windows 7, but is much more expensive. You should go for it only if you need 2 drive encryption features (Bitlocker and BitLocker To Go).
Ultimately, final choice should be made between Home Premium and Professional, according to the features you need.
