Versions of Windows

Current versions

* Windows 7, for home and business desktops and portable computers

* Windows 7 Starter A variant for developing countries and netbooks, in which the Aero theme is not included, nor 64-bit compatibility. This edition will be available pre-installed on computers through system integrators or computer manufacturers.

* Windows 7 Home Basic Windows 7 Home Basic will be available in emerging markets such as Brazil, People's Republic of China, India, Indonesia, Mexico, Pakistan, the Philippines, and Thailand. It will not be available in countries such as Australia, Canada, France, Germany, The Netherlands, United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, New Zealand, the United States, and the United Kingdom. Some Aero options are excluded along with several new features.

* Windows 7 Home Premium This edition contains features aimed at the home market segment, such as Windows Media Center, Windows Aero and touch-screen controls.

* Windows 7 Professional This edition is targeted toward enthusiasts and small business users. It includes all the features of Windows 7 Home Premium, and adds the ability to participate in a Windows Server domain. Additional features include operating as a Remote Desktop server, location aware printing, Encrypting File System, Presentation Mode and Windows XP Mode.

* Windows 7 Enterprise (Microsoft Windows NT 6.1.7600) This edition targets the enterprise segment of the market and will be sold through volume licensing to companies which have Software Assurance contract with Microsoft. Additional features include support for Multilingual User Interface (MUI) packages, BitLocker Drive Encryption, and UNIX application-support. Not available through retail or OEM channels, this edition will be distributed through Microsoft Software Assurance (SA). As a result it includes several SA-only benefits, including a license allowing the running of multiple virtual machines, and activation via VLK.

* Windows 7 Ultimate Windows 7 Ultimate contains the same features as Windows 7 Enterprise, but unlike that edition it will be available to home users on an individual license basis. Windows 7 Home Premium and Windows 7 Professional users will be able to upgrade to Windows 7 Ultimate for a fee using Windows Anytime Upgrade if they wish to do so. Unlike Windows Vista Ultimate, the Windows 7 Ultimate edition will not include the Windows Ultimate Extras feature or any exclusive features. (6.1.7100)

* Windows Server 2008 R2 for servers.

* Windows Web Server 2008 R2

* Windows Server 2008 R2 Standard Edition

* Windows Server 2008 R2 Enterprise Edition

* Windows Server 2008 R2 Datacenter Edition

* Windows Server 2008 R2 for Itanium-based Systems

* Windows HPC Server 2008 R2 for high Performance supercomputers

* Windows Server 2008 R2 Foundation

* Windows Mobile 6.5 for smartphones and PDAs

* Windows Home Server Announced at the 2007 Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas. Windows Home Server is intended to be a solution for homes with multiple connected PCs to offer file sharing, automated backups, and remote access.

* Windows XP Embedded, for embedded systems requiring parts of the Windows XP infrastructure

* Windows Fundamentals for Legacy PCs, a low-end version of Windows XP that is intended to be a thin-client that works with older hardware.

* Windows Embedded CE 6.0, for embedded systems (not based on the Windows NT kernel)

[edit] Past versions

* Windows Mobile 6.1 for smartphones and PDAs

* Windows Server 2008 for servers.

* Windows Web Server 2008

* Windows Server 2008 Standard Edition

* Windows Server 2008 Enterprise Edition (Microsoft Windows NT 6.0.6001 Service Pack 1)

* Windows Server 2008 Datacenter Edition

* Windows Storage Server 2008

* Windows Small Business Server 2008 (Codenamed "Cougar") for small businesses

* Windows Essential Business Server 2008 (Codenamed "Centro") for medium-sized businesses[1]

* Windows Server 2008 for Itanium-based Systems

* Windows HPC Server 2008 for high Performance supercomputers

* Windows Server Foundation 2008

* Windows Vista, for home and business desktops and portable computers

* Windows Vista Starter Similar to Windows XP Starter Edition, this edition will be limited to emerging markets such as Colombia, India, Thailand, and Indonesia, mainly to offer a legal alternative to using unauthorized copies. It will not be available in the United States, Canada, Europe, or Australia.

* Windows Vista Home Basic Similar to Windows XP Home Edition, Home Basic is intended for budget users not requiring advanced media support for home use. The Windows Aero theme with translucent effects will not be included with this edition.

* Windows Vista Home Premium Like Windows XP Media Center Edition, this edition will support more advanced multimedia and entertainment authoring, premium games, mobile and tablet PC support, Network Projector, Windows Aero, Touch Screen, and auxiliary display (via Windows Side Show) support.

* Windows Vista Business This edition is aimed at the business market. It includes advanced network and security features, whilst excluding entertainment features.

* Windows Vista Enterprise (Microsoft Windows NT 6.0.6000.0) This edition is aimed at the enterprise segment of the market, and is a superset of the Business edition. Additional features include multilingual user interface support, BitLocker Drive Encryption, and UNIX application support. This edition will not be available through retail or OEM channels

* Windows Vista Ultimate This edition combines all the features of the Home Premium and Enterprise editions, a game performance tweaker (WinSAT), and "Ultimate Extras".