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Test: Which Windows 7 version is the best, fast and light? Windows 7 for gaming and work on low-end PC
If you’re running Windows XP or Windows Vista and are considering upgrading to Windows 7, you might be wondering what the difference is between all those different versions. Unlike OS X, which has one version for everyone, Windows tries to break it down into different groups with different price points. Depending on what you’re going to use your computer for, you might only need the Home version, or you might need the Ultimate version.
There are actually 6 different versions of Windows 7, but we'll only worry about 3 because the rest aren't really available for consumers to buy. There's Windows 7 Starter, which is mostly on netbooks. Windows 7 Home Basic is available in emerging markets and not here in the US. And Windows 7 Enterprise is sold via volume licensing to businesses and institutions.
In this post I will discuss the differences between Windows 7 Home Premium, Professional, and Ultimate. Note that if you purchase the most basic version of Windows, you can still upgrade at any time with Windows Anytime Upgrade. Basically, the Home edition includes Professional and Ultimate, but those extra features are only installed when you purchase them. You can run Anytime Upgrade from within Windows itself.