Article: Microsoft streamlines Windows 7 options

[Jake_Barnes]

SEATTLE (AP) - Microsoft Corp. (MSFT) (MSFT) on Tuesday said it will heavily promote two main versions of the next Windows operating system in an attempt to avoid the problems it faced by marketing four tiers of the Windows Vista system.

But while the Redmond-based company said it will simplify its message, it did not give up the multitiered approach with Windows 7, which is officially expected at the end of January 2010. All told, there will be at least six different versions.

Microsoft said the primary version for consumers will be called Windows 7 Home Premium, and the one for businesses will be called Windows 7 Professional. Prices have not yet been disclosed....

http://apnews.myway.com//article/20090204/D964GQTG0.html

Copyright 2008 Associated Press

 

[randomizer]

Don't forget the EU and Korea will probably get their own SKUs with things removed. Excluding Starter from the mix because we don't know where it will be sold, if you think about it, there are a ton of SKUs that M$ could make. 6 normal SKUs with x86 and x64 versions, so 12 total. Then the EU and Korea get their own versions, so that's another 24. That's 36 SKUs total and not even counting Starter

 

[amdfangirl]

I can't see why M$ still make an OS that is 32bit.

 

[randomizer]

Because some applications simply don't work on 64-bit OSs. Especially in-house-developed business apps. For the home user it's not so much of a problem, unless they have legacy hardware.

 

[amdfangirl]

Hey get them to use XP then!

 

[gamerk316]

ITs mostly for companies that created their own software, but need to update security. (Of course, my company uses custom 16-bit apps, so we are still stuck on a mix of XP, ME, Server 2003, and 98SE...)