Windows Vista, the next generation operating system from Microsoft, which is planned to be released next year, will have seven different editions. They are Starter Edition, Home Basic Edition, Home Premium Edition, Professional Edition, Small Business Edition, Enterprise Edition, and last, Ultimate Edition.

Windows Vista Starter Edition is much like Windows XP Starter Edition. It is crippled product targetted at worldwide market, about two-thirds world. Only three concurrent applications allowed with basic TCP/IP networking support. It is suitable for home user that only need computer to do simple task, such as writing document.

The second and the third are, Windows Vista Home Basic Edition and Windows Vista Home Premium Edition. In comparison with Windows XP, this is similar to Windows XP Home Edition with Windows XP Professional Editional. The different between the Basic Edition and Premium Edition is from the entertainment features. Premium Edition will have the next generation of Media Center capabilities, such as support for HDTV, DVD authoring, and DVD ripping backed up by Windows DRM. Windows Vista Home Premium Edition will be suitable for home user that take advantage to computer’s multimedia ability.

Next we have Windows Vista Professional Edition. This is targetted to business-oriented user. It has support for non-Microsoft networking protocols and Domain support. Not much different is Windows Vista Small Business Edition and Windows Vista Enterprise Edition. There will be only some minor difference between these three Vista edition. For example, Small Business Edition will include networked backup solution, while Enterprise Edition will include Virtual PC integration and the ability to encrypt an entire volume of information. Professional Edition is more for business decision makers and IT managers and generalists, Small Business Edition for small business owners and managers (any business without IT staff), and Enterprise Enterprise is for business decision makers, IT managers and decision makers, and information workers/general business users.

Finally, Windows Vista Ultimate Edition. Here’s what Paul Turrot said about the Ultimate Edition:

The best operating system ever offered for a personal PC, optimized for the individual. Windows Vista Ultimate Edition is a superset of both Vista Home Premium and Vista Pro Edition, so it includes all of the features of both of those product versions, plus adds Game Performance Tweaker with integrated gaming experiences, a Podcast creation utility (under consideration, may be cut from product), and online “Club” services (exclusive access to music, movies, services and preferred customer care) and other offerings (also under consideration, may be cut from product). Microsoft is still investigating how to position its most impressive Windows release yet, and is looking into offering Ultimate Edition owners such services as extended A1 subscriptions, free music downloads, free movie downloads, Online Spotlight and entertainment software, preferred product support, and custom themes. There is nothing like Vista Ultimate Edition today. This version is aimed at high-end PC users and technology influencers, gamers, digital media enthusiasts, and students.

I’d definitely choose the Ultimate Edition :d

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