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I don’t know why it has to be this way, but leave it to Microsoft to make things confusing (I am still trying to figure out their new certification program and what direction they are heading). Windows Vista is no different.Â
If you count the different SKUs, there are 15+ different variations of Vista available worldwide (including 64bit editions). The goal of this post is to simplify the choices and eliminate the Vista editions that probably won’t make sense for you.Â
In the end, I will present you with just 2 choices … don’t you feel better already?
Very stripped down and only available pre-installed on computers shipping to developing countries. Not available in the US, EU, Australia, Japan and more. ELIMINATED
Designed to satisfy anti-trust agreements in the European Union. Does not include Windows Media Player, Movie Maker and more. "N" editions exist for Home Basic and Vista Business editions. Same price as regular editions. Not popular. ELIMINATED
No domain support. No AERO interface, no premium games, no shadow copies, no media center and much more NOT included. Lack of domain support is a show stopper. ELIMINATED
No domain support. Includes everything in Home Basic plus the AERO interface, Media Center and Tablet PC support. Not a bad option for home users but our audience consists mostly of IT students, educators and professionals … lack of domain support = ELIMINATED
Only available to volume licensing customers (no OEM or retail). Includes domain support and BitLocker. You either have it (through volume licensing) or you don’t, so there is not much to "choose" here. Because of this (and not its feature set) …ELIMINATED
Domain support! Available retail or OEM (i.e. pre-installed on new computers). Supports up to 2 CPUs, group policy, offline files, IIS, shadow copies and more. Does not include entertainment options like Media Center, DVD Maker, Parental Controls and more. Vista Business is a KEEPER.
Domain support! This version of Vista includes everything…every home and business feature is included. Ultimate "Extras" (additional features) are also included. More "Extras" will be added on an ongoing basis.  Vista Ultimate is a KEEPER.
Choosing Vista Ultimate will cost you $50-$100 more than Vista Business, depending on how you buy Vista (on a new computer, retail, etc.). Most of these additions are entertainment related, however, there are a couple of business-oriented additions.Â
Here is a more detailed look at what you get for your extra money:
Ultimate Extras (more will be added in the future):
For my production system I chose Vista Business edition. I don’t need any of the media options, movie maker, ultimate extras, etc. I have also decided not to use BitLocker on my laptop so all of the potential reasons for choosing Ultimate have been eliminated and I saved myself $50! As always, we are here to help … let us know if you need anything.
You get 19+ Hours of Training covering Microsoft Windows Vista. “Get your Hands Dirty” with this Real World Training that is 100% Instructor Led!
In this course Scott Skinger will lead you through Scenarios and Examples that will have you ready to tackle anything Windows Vista will throw at you.
