Microsoft has introduced six editions of Windows 7. The good news is that unlike Windows Vista, the features in the different Windows 7 editions are incremental making choosing one a little easier. Which one is right for you? Check out this detailed comparison chart to decide.
| Starter | Home Basic | Home Premium | Professional | Enterprise | Ultimate | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Specifications | ||||||
| 32-bit and 64-bit versions | 32-bit only | 32-bit only | Both | Both | Both | Both |
| Maximum physical memory (32-bit mode) | 1 GB | 4 GB | 4 GB | 4 GB | 4 GB | 4 GB |
| Maximum physical memory (64-bit mode) | N/A | 8 GB | 16 GB | 192 GB | 192 GB | 192 GB |
| Maximum CPU chips supported | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| Multi-Core Processor Support | Unlimited | Unlimited | Unlimited | Unlimited | Unlimited | Unlimited |
| Simultatnous Running Application | 3 | Unlimited | Unlimited | Unlimited | Unlimited | Unlimited |
| Starter | Home Basic |
Home Premium |
Professional | Enterprise | Ultimate | |
| Features | ||||||
| Jump Lists | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Windows Search | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Parental Controls | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Windows ReadyDrive | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Windows ReadyBoost | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Automatic hard disk defragmentation | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Home Group | Join only | Join only | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Backup and Restore Center | Cannot back up to network | Cannot back up to network | Cannot back up to network | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Create System image | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Sync Center | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Action Center | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Windows Mobility Center | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Live Taskbar Previews | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Multiple monitors | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Fast user switching | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Desktop Wallpaper Changeable | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Desktop Window Manager | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Windows Aero | No | Partial | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Windows Media Center | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Tablet PC support | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Multi-Touch | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Encrypting File System | No | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Location Aware Printing | No | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Remote Desktop Host | No | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Presentation Mode | No | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Windows Server domain joining | No | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Windows XP Mode | No | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Aero glass remoting | No | No | No | No | Yes | Yes |
| AppLocker | No | No | No | No | Yes | Yes |
| BitLocker Drive Encryption | No | No | No | No | Yes | Yes |
| BranchCache Distributed Cache | No | No | No | No | Yes | Yes |
| DirectAccess | No | No | No | No | Yes | Yes |
| Subsystem for Unix-based Applications | No | No | No | No | Yes | Yes |
| Multilingual User Interface Pack | No | No | No | No | Yes | Yes |
| Virtual Hard Disk Booting | No | No | No | No | Yes | Yes |
| Starter | Home Basic |
Home Premium |
Professional | Enterprise | Ultimate | |
| Bundled Applications | ||||||
| Windows Defender | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Windows Firewall | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Internet Explorer 8 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Windows Gadgets and Gallery | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Calculator | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Paint | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Windows Fax and Scan | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Windows PowerShell and ISE | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| WordPad | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| XPS Viewer | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Windows Photo Viewer | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Basic photo slide shows | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Device Stage | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Windows Media Player 12 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Games Explorer with basic games | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Premium games | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Windows Media Player Remote Media Experience | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Snipping Tool | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Sticky Notes | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Windows Journal | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| DVD playback | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Windows DVD Maker | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Windows Anytime Upgrade | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No |
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