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Windows 8 to offer nine versions for sale

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Josh:
I think that one reason Microsoft could have so many different editions is the licensing required behind components in each edition. For example, I bet they have additional royalties they have to pay to license certain technology in different editions. This could be why Terminal Services (RDP) is not enabled in home editions. There is probably some underlying patent that Microsoft has to pay royalties on to use. This is one area where Linux does not have to worry.

Curt:
Copy&Paste from 'Windows Secrets Newsletter • Issue 336 • 2012-04-26':


Top Story
Taking stock of the Windows 8 versions

By Woody Leonhard on April 25, 2012 in Top Story


Microsoft just released details on the versions of Windows 8 it’ll offer when the OS ships — most likely sometime in October.

Although the company will simplify the current huge array of Windows versions with Win8, the choices are really not any simpler at all.

Microsoft used to have a simple, small set of SKUs (stock-keeping units — what you and I would call versions) for Windows. For example, XP first shipped with just two: Windows XP Home Edition and Windows XP Professional. XP Professional added the ability to join a domain and to act as a server (a host or, as I like to say, a “puppet”) in a Remote Desktop session: it included Encrypting File System (EFS), Group Policy Editor, and a handful of lesser features.

Then the proverbial hit the fan. Within two years we had Windows XP Starter Edition, Media Center Edition, and Tablet PC Edition — all of which were available only as preinstalled software on new systems (in theory). XP Professional was also released in 64-bit versions (which worked on alternate Tuesdays) for Itanium (Wikipedia info page) and Itanium 2 processors. (The original XP Pro 64 was released simultaneously with XP Pro, but I don’t think it worked until years later.) Then there was the XP Professional x64 Edition.

That murky situation wasn’t made any clearer with Vista — and Windows 7 followed in Vista’s footsteps.

Given that history, there was hope that Microsoft would finally reduce the version complexity and give us — well, uh — just Windows 8. But in an April 16 post, Microsoft’s irrepressible Brandon LeBlanc announced the range of Windows 8 versions/SKUs the company plans to offer.

An introduction to the various new SKUs

I think the easiest way to understand Win8′s new SKUs is to compare them with Windows 7.
Here’s the breakdown: follow this link to read the more important part of the article:
http://windowssecrets.com/newsletter/taking-stock-of-the-windows-8-versions/#story1

--- End quote ---
http://windowssecrets.com/newsletter/taking-stock-of-the-windows-8-versions/#story1

mahesh2k:

Curt:
-yes, mahesh2k, I agree.

Deozaan:
-mahesh2k (April 26, 2012, 05:09 AM)
--- End quote ---

-yes, mahesh2k, I agree.-Curt (April 26, 2012, 06:19 AM)
--- End quote ---

What? That Windows 8 will be as broken as mahesh's link?

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