“We’ll also continue to offer Windows Starter edition, which will only be offered pre-installed by an OEM.
“We know emerging markets have unique needs and we will offer Windows 7 Home Basic, only in emerging markets, for customers looking for an entry-point Windows experience on a full-size value PC,” Ybarra said. With Windows 7 Microsoft will continue to focus on emerging markets around the world, though this time with no less than two separate editions, but mainly Windows 7 Home Basic, while Windows 7 Starter, although offered worldwide, will be limited by the OEM hardware it is associated with.
Windows 7 Enterprise edition offers advanced data protection, lower cost compliance and IT tools to streamline PC management and help save costs, while enabling access to information from anywhere for business users,” Ybarra added. “This edition will not be available at retail or by OEMs for preinstallation on a new PC.
And also following in Vista's footsteps, Windows 7 Enterprise will be made available to Volume Licensing enterprise customers via Software Assurance agreements. Just as Vista featured an edition focused on the large corporate customers, so will Windows 7 come to the table with an Enterprise SKU. For those running Windows Vista Business, it will be a very logical move to Windows 7 Professional.” “Windows 7 Professional is the recommended choice for small businesses and for people who work at home but have to operate in an IT-managed or business environment where security and productivity are critical. It gives them a full-function PC experience and a visually rich environment in everything from the way they experience entertainment to the way they connect their devices,” Ybarra explained. “Windows 7 Home Premium is the recommended choice for consumers. Microsoft plans to focus all its marketing efforts on the two main editions of Windows, but the company also wants the 1 billion potential customers already running Windows to have a choice. We think those two SKUs will meet most customers’ needs,” Ybarra commented.
“With Windows 7 there will be two primary editions: Windows 7 Home Premium, and Windows 7 Professional. However, fact is that, to the six main editions of Windows 7, Microsoft is bound to add more variants of the operating system, at least two considering the model of Windows Vista, taking the total count of Win 7 SKUs to at least eight, but certainly more than six. Windows General Manager Mike Ybarra revealed that Microsoft would deliver Windows 7 in the following flavors: Starter, Home Basic, Home Premium, Professional, Enterprise and Ultimate. The next iteration of the Windows client, will, just as its precursor, come in a plethora of editions, in fact, no less than six SKUs (Stock Keeping Unit) that Microsoft has confirmed officially. The Windows 7 apple will fall close to the Windows Vista tree, at least in one aspect.