Windows 7, a major release of the Microsoft
Windows operating system, was available in six
different editions: Starter, Home Basic, Home Premium, Professional, Enterprise
and Ultimate. Only Home Premium, Professional, and Ultimate were widely
available at retailers. The other editions focus on other markets, such as
the software development world or enterprise use. All editions support
32-bit IA-32 CPUs and all editions except Starter
support 64-bit x64 CPUs.
64-bit installation media are not included in Home-Basic edition packages, but
can be obtained separately from Microsoft.
According
to Microsoft, the features for all editions of Windows 7 are stored on the
machine, regardless of which edition is in use. Users who wish to upgrade
to an edition of Windows 7 with more features could use Windows Anytime Upgrade to purchase
the upgrade and to unlock the features of those editions. Microsoft
announced Windows 7 pricing information for some editions on June 25, 2009, and
Windows Anytime Upgrade and Family Pack pricing on July 31, 2009.
Windows 7 Ultimate
Windows
7 Ultimate contains the same features as Windows 7 Enterprise, but this edition
was available to home users on an individual license basis. Windows 7 Home Premium and Windows 7 Professional users
are 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 does not include the Windows Ultimate Extras feature or
any exclusive features as Microsoft had stated.
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Windows