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THE FLAVOURS OF WINDOWS VISTA

Brian Grainger

This last week, Microsoft has announced that the next version of Windows will come in 5 different varieties.

You probably know that the next version of Windows is called Windows Vista and, if you have read the descriptions of the preview copy in the magazines, you will know it is significantly different in looks and operation from Windows XP. It is a major upgrade in that sense. Microsoft say that 'Security' is the major driver of Vista, but then they would say that. There are lots of new features in Vista that will give great opportunity to get the coding wrong and so let in a new batch of malware.

Windows Vista, as announce by Microsoft, will come in five flavours aligned with the different type of people who might use it. Microsoft say that XP also came in five flavours but it was aligned to different hardware, rather than people. I think they are twisting the facts after the event to justify that statement. It came as Professional and Home at the start, which was based on people at home or people at work! Eventually, it turned up in Media Centre edition and Tablet PC edition, which I guess is based on hardware. Not sure what the fifth version of XP was!

Anyway, let's have a look at Vista. It will come in the following versions:

• Home Basic - Improved security, useability, reliability, for those who want to do the basics on their PC, says Microsoft. Not sure what they mean by basic because the next version ...
• Home Premium - For the user writing e-mail, surfing the net, home entertainment, doing household expenses. Apart from the home entertainment bit, which I presume covers the media centre aspects, this all sounds pretty basic to me!
• Business - For any size business, Microsoft say, but I guess it is aimed at the SME, (small to medium sized enterprise).
• Enterprise - For the corporate user
• Ultimate - Includes all the best home and business features. I wonder if that includes ALL the features or just those Microsoft consider the best?

If you look at some of the other tags from the link given above, you will get a feel for how different Windows Vista is going to be, so get ready to relearn a whole new user interface.

The computer news sites have also trailed a sixth version of Vista. Not mentioned by Microsoft, this version is supposed to be aimed at emerging countries. Whether Microsoft announce it or not, it makes sense - for Microsoft - to do this. Linux is beginning to make inroads into China and the Philippines, for example, and later this year 3rd World countries are promised the $100 PC which will come with a version of Linux, probably based on Red Hat Linux. Microsoft have already given remarkable deals on a cut down version of Windows XP to countries that have threatened to move to Linux, so I guess this sixth version of Vista would aim to do the same. Probably a cut down, very basic version, which probably costs very little or nothing. Once users find they cannot do everything the rest of the world can do they are locked in and there is no way they will move to Linux. Another win for Microsoft.

There is no pricing information for these different versions announced yet. I guess most home users will only bother getting it when they upgrade their PCs, and then they will have no choice. Most business users will probably not get it at all for a couple of years or more. The first version of any radically new software is always flaky. Business is usually advised to wait for version 3, unless they want to be on the cutting edge. Rest assured, they will be forced to get it eventually, as suppport for Windows XP is withdrawn.

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