Microsoft made available today a list of each of the versions of Windows 7 that will be available. In all there are six versions:
Windows 7 Starter: Broad app and device compatibility with up to 3 concurrent applications, ability to join a Home Group, improved taskbar and JumpLists
Windows 7 Home Basic (in emerging markets only): Starter features, Unlimited applications, Live Thumbnail Previews & enhanced visual experience, ad-hoc wireless networks and internet connection sharing, Mobility Center
Windows 7 Home Premium: Home Basic features, Unlimited applications, Aero Glass & advanced windows navigation, Easy networking & sharing across all your PCs & devices, Improved media format support, enhancements to Windows Media Center and media streaming, including Play To, Multi-touch and improved handwriting recognition
Windows 7 Professional: Professional features, Unlimited applications, Ability to join a managed network with Domain Join, Protect data with advanced network backup and Encrypting File System, Print to the right printer at home or work with Location Aware Printing
Windows 7 Enterprise and Windows 7 Ultimate: Professional and Consumer, Unlimited applications, BitLocker data protection on internal and external drives, DirectAccess provides seamless connectivity to your corporate network. (requires Windows Server 2008 R2), Decrease time branch office workers wait to open file across the network with BranchCache. (requires Windows Server 2008 R2), Prevent unauthorized software from running with AppLocker, Note: Ultimate includes all Enterprise and all Home Premium features, including multi-language packs., Windows 7 Enterprise is available only through Microsoft Volume Licensing
Actually it looks to me like for the consumer there really are only three SKUs to be concerned about: Home Premium, Professional and Ultimate. The Enterprise version is for volume license holders (large companies), the Starter version is a stripped down version of the OS and available only to OEMs, and Home Basic is only available in emerging markets via OEMs.
Taken this way, the list isn’t that bad. Maybe it’s what Microsoft should be listing anyway and the other licenses are just “additional” licensing versions. Do we really need to know all the minutia?
What’s interesting to me is how Microsoft is positioning multi-touch and handwriting recognition. As you can see from the list above, multi-touch and handwriting is not available until Windows 7 Home Premium and above. From a retail consumer experience, that’s not bad.
However, with Netbooks being so hot right now, where do these low cost devices fit into all of this? I imagine no one will be using Starter or Home Basic (they are too limited) or at least I hope so, so it looks like Netbooks will come with Home Premium, that is if the price is right. Microsoft’s Brad Brooks, corporate vice president for Windows Consumer Product Marketing, however, thinks OEMs will use Starter:
“For OEMs that build lower-cost small notebook PCs, Windows 7 Starter will now be available in developed markets. For the most enhanced, full-functioning Windows experience on small notebook PCs, however, consumers will want to go with Windows 7 Home Premium, which lets you get the most out of your digital media and easily connect with other PCs.”
If Brad is right, then this is very bad news for those of us that would like to see rich multi-touch interaction on small devices like Netbooks and MIDs–something that’s an obvious win on small devices.
At CES we saw some prototypes of pen and multi-touch enabled Netbooks, from ASUS for instance (10″ t101), and I’m going to guess that if ASUS wants to follow through on these they are going to be forced to what I’m guessing is the higher priced Home Premium, which in turn will drive the price of these Netbooks up to the point where they won’t sell well. Now if the price difference is only $50 or so, then this won’t be a big deal. But it doesn’t take much to guess that we’re probably talking hundreds of dollars here. History is repeating itself.
So here I think Microsoft is ceding the market to Apple when it comes to highly mobile, connected devices. The iPhone is still the winner.
I imagine if Intel is as successful with MIDs as it has been with Netbooks, then Microsoft is going to get pushed into modifying this list and making more features available in “Starter”. That’s what? Maybe a year or two down the road till that may or may not happen. This buys Microsoft time and like I said cedes the market to Apple for now. In fact, if Apple ever gets around to releasing a larger iPod Touch or Tablet or webpad or whatever they might call it, Apple will be in a fine position when it comes to rich experiences on small devices.