MS Vista Versions

Microsoft has customized Vista for different markets and classes of users. The five different versions of Vista available in the United States are as follows:

• Home Basic: This version of Vista lacks the Aero visual look, the new multimedia features, and mobility improvements, although it does included the security enhancements and desktop search. It is capable of running on some hardware that cannot accommodate the more more advanced versions of Vista, since it requires only 512 MB of RAM, versus 1 GB for the other versions.
• Home Premium: Intended as a replacement for Windows XP Media Center Edition, Home Premium includes the new multimedia applications (including Windows Movie Maker and some games) and the Aero user interface.
• Business: This edition is designed for small businesses; it lacks the home-oriented multimedia features of Home Premium, but includes the Aero interface, a new backup utility, and some features from Windows XP Professional such as Remote Desktop.
• Enterprise: A replacement for Windows XP Professional for large organizations, the version adds BitLocker Drive Encryption to the feature set of the Business edition. In addition, Enterprise edition has a subsystem for UNIX-Based Applications (SUA), and the Enterprise license allows customers to install up to four copies of the operating system in virtual machines for a single user on a single device.
• Ultimate: This version includes all the features of Home Basic, Home Premium, and Business, plus BitLocker Drive Encryption.