Microsoft has confirmed its Windows 7 SKUs today, and although it was rumored there would be a netbook edition, it’s absent from the list.
Here are the SKU’s and the differentiating features from Geekzone:
Windows 7 Starter: run up to 3 concurrent applications, ability to join a Home Group, improved taskbar and JumpLists
Windows 7 Home Basic: unlimited applications, live thumbnail previews and enhanced visual experience, advanced networking support (ad-hoc wireless networks and internet connection sharing), and Mobility Center
Windows 7 Home Premium: Aero Glass and advanced Windows navigation, improved media format support, enhancements to Windows Media Center and media streaming, including Play To, and multitouch and improved handwriting recognition
Windows 7 Professional: ability to join a managed network with Domain Join, data protection with advanced network backup and Encrypting File System, and print to the right printer at home or work with Location Aware Printing
Windows 7 Enterprise and Windows 7 Ultimate: BitLocker data protection on internal and external drives, DirectAccess for seamless connectivity to corporate networks based on Windows Server 2008 R2, BranchCache support when on networks based on Windows Server 2008 R2, and lock unauthorized software from running AppLocker
While there is not specific netbook edition, a PressPass interview with Brad Brooks, corporate vice president for Windows Consumer Product Marketing, indicates that beta tests showed that netbooks could support a premium, fully-feature edition of Windows 7. The Starter version will only be available in emerging markets, so if anything Microsoft could preinstall Home Basic or Home Premium as the native OS for netbooks.
The same interview yielded some interesting numbers as well. Brooks stated that Windows went from a 10 percent market share for netbook operating systems in February 2008 to 80 percent by the end of the year, absolutely crushing Linux and its variants in the process.
Microsoft hasn’t announced release dates or pricing, nor did the company specify which Windows 7 editions would support location-awareness and GPS hardware.
via geekzone
