Windows Vista in a Nutshell

Windows Vista Editions

Those who were slightly confused by the two different versions of Windows XP—the Home Edition and the Professional Edition—will be flummoxed by the dizzying array of different Windows Vista versions. There are five different core Vista versions, for everyone from users with bare-bones PCs, to home users interested in multimedia, to users who work in large enterprises. As a practical matter, though, most home users will end up with Windows Vista Home Premium; those in many businesses will end up with Windows Vista Business; and those in very large corporations will run Windows Vista Enterprise Edition. Here’s the rundown on the five core versions and how they differ:

Windows Vista Home Basic

As the name implies, this edition offers only bare-bones features. It’s designed to run on entry-level PCs and doesn’t have the Windows Aero interface, doesn’t support creating video DVDs, and lacks Media Center features. It is missing more as well, such as mobility features, and it doesn’t support Tablet PCs. Most likely, few people will opt for this version of Windows Vista.

Windows Vista Business

This version is aimed at users in small to medium-size businesses. It includes Windows Aero, supports Tablet PCs, and has most other Vista features. But it doesn’t have a variety of multimedia features, such as the capability to create and burn video DVDs. It does, though, have a variety of features aimed at IT staff, such as wireless network provisioning capabilities, Remote ...