Windows Vista Editions Overview

No matter how you use your PC—from home entertainment to business productivity—there's an edition of Windows Vista that's right for you. Use this comparison table to help you choose your edition.

Ultimate Windows Vista Ultimate is the choice for those who want to have it all. Easily shift between the worlds of productivity and play with the most complete edition of Windows Vista. Ultimate provides the power, security, and mobility features needed for work, and all the entertainment features that you want for fun. Learn more about Windows Vista Ultimate. Ready to buy? Get it now at Windows Marketplace Already have Windows Vista? Upgrade to Ultimate with Windows Anytime Upgrade

Home Premium Windows Vista Home Premium is the preferred edition for home desktop and mobile PCs. It provides a breakthrough design that brings your world into sharper focus while delivering the productivity, entertainment, and security you need from your PC at home or on the go. Learn more about Windows Vista Home Premium. Ready to buy? Get it now at Windows Marketplace Already have Windows Vista? Upgrade to Ultimate with Windows Anytime Upgrade

Home Basic Windows Vista Home Basic is ideal for homes with basic computing needs like e-mail, browsing the Internet, and viewing photos. Easy to set up and maintain, it enables you to quickly find what you're looking for on your PC and the Internet, while providing a more secure environment to help protect you from an unpredictable world. Learn more about Windows Vista Home Basic. Ready to buy? Get it now at Windows Marketplace Already have Windows Vista? Upgrade to Ultimate with Windows Anytime Upgrade

Business Windows Vista Business is the first edition of Windows designed specifically to meet the needs of small businesses. You'll spend less time on technology support-related issues-so you can spend more time making your business successful. Windows Vista Business is the definitive choice for your business today and tomorrow. Learn more about Windows Vista Business. Ready to buy? Get it now at Windows Marketplace Already have Windows Vista? Upgrade to Ultimate with Windows Anytime Upgrade

Enterprise Designed to significantly lower IT costs and risks, Windows Vista Enterprise meets the needs of large, global organizations with complex IT infrastructures. Learn more about Windows Vista Enterprise. Learn about the Microsoft Desktop Optimization Pack for Software Assurance

Top 10 Things You Can Do with Windows Vista

Just learning about Windows Vista? Here are ten cool things to try. You'll see why it's easier, safer, and more entertaining than earlier versions of the Windows operating systems.

1) Find that file in a few quick clicks You don't need to remember folder names to be organized anymore. Save time by instantly tracking down any document, photo, e-mail message, song, video, file, or program on your PC using Instant Search. Just open the Start menu and begin typing in the Instant Search box—Windows Vista searches file names, application names, the full text of all files, and metadata, and then displays the results right away. 2) See everything you have open at a glance Lost track of what files and programs you've opened? Flip through all your open files and windows with a simple click of your mouse using Windows Flip 3DA—you're just one click away from everything you're working on. Plus, in Windows AeroA, when you rest your mouse pointer on the taskbar, you can see thumbnail images of the windows you have open without having to expand them—so you can find what you're looking for at a glance. 3) Keep photos organized—and ready to share Digital photo collection getting out of hand? You don't have to search through folders to track down the ones you want. Now you can tag your photos with a date, keyword, rating, or any label you choose so you can find them quickly and easily in Windows Photo Gallery. You can also use Photo Gallery to fix and edit photos, then share them with family and friends through slideshows, e-mail, or prints—so everything you need for photos is in one place. 4) Create a custom movie without a fine arts degree Making a great home movie just got easier. Use Windows Movie Maker to blend videos and photos into a rich movie, complete with your own soundtrack, titles, and credits. When your masterpiece is ready to share with family and friends, you can easily create a professional-looking DVD in Windows DVD Maker.U 5) Keep track of your music—and play it anywhere The larger your collection of digital music grows, the harder it can be to organize and keep track of it. But now you can easily scroll, flip, browse through, and play your entire music library in Windows Media Player 11. You can even create new playlists of your favorite tracks with a single click. Keep your music moving with you by easily synchronizing your portable music device, or share the contents of your entire library with other computers on your home network or with digital media devices such as Xbox 360. 6) Surf multiple waves of the web at once Like to jump from website to website? Satisfy your appetite for multitasking without having to open several browser windows. You can open multiple webpages in one window and easily click between them with the tabbed browsing feature in Internet Explorer 7—plus, you can see thumbnail images of all your open webpages at a glance with Quick Tabs. 7) Record and watch TV on your time Watch TV on your own schedule—not the TV networks' schedule. If your PC has a TV tuner, you can record, watch, and pause live television on your desktop or mobile PC using Windows Media CenterM. With multiple TV tuners, you can even record one channel while watching another. When and where you watch your shows is now up to you. 8) Bring your TV and PC together—and take home entertainment to a new level Tired of huddling around the PC for entertainment? Connect your PC to one or more televisions in your home using a Windows Media CenterM Extender like Xbox 360, and enjoy all your digital entertainment on the big screen—from photo slideshows, home videos, and digital music to live and recorded TV shows and movies. 9) Keep the things you need most at your fingertips No need to open a web browser to check traffic and weather, open a calculator to add up a few numbers, or open an application to see your calendar. Now you can put mini-applications called gadgets right on your desktop, where you can see and use them whenever the mood strikes. Just use the Windows Sidebar pane to store and organize your favorite gadgets. 10) Help your kids stay safer Worried about your kids' computer use—or what they may encounter online? Now you can set boundaries on what your kids can do on the PC to give them a safer experience, using the centralized Parental Controls in Windows Vista. You can even restrict games and websites based on your family's values. Plus, you can better protect your PC and your personal information, as well as your family, with built-in security tools like Windows Defender and anti-spam and phishing filters. Some product features are only available in certain editions of Windows Vista and may require advanced or additional hardware.

Windows Vista Features

Want to see exactly how Windows Vista can help you? From what it will do for you and how you'll use it, to detailed descriptions of individual features, here are several ways to learn more. Or get started by seeing the top 10 things you can do with Windows Vista.

By Interest Communication Gaming Memories Music Productivity TV & Movies How will you use it? Explore detailed home and work experiences. By Benefits Easier More entertaining Better connected Safer Connected for Small Businesses Efficient for Small Businesses Future Ready for Small Businesses Safer for Small Businesses By Edition Home Basic Home Premium Ultimate Business

Windows Vista Footnotes

A. Windows Aero, Windows Flip 3D navigation, Scheduled and Network Backup, Windows Meeting Space, and Tablet Technology are available in Windows Vista Home Premium, Windows Vista Business, and Windows Vista Ultimate.

B. Windows BitLocker Drive Encryption and Complete PC Backup and Restore are available in Windows Vista Ultimate.

C. Not all Windows Vista features will be available for use on all Windows Vista Capable PCs. All Windows Vista Capable PCs upgraded to Windows Vista will be able to run the core experiences of Windows Vista, such as innovations in organizing and finding information, security, and reliability. Some features—such as the new Windows Aero user interface—available in certain editions of Windows Vista require advanced or additional hardware.

D. Domain Join, Group Policy support, Windows Fax and Scan, Encrypting File System (EFS), Shadow Copy, Corporate Roaming, Offline Files and Folders, and Remote Desktop are available in Windows Vista Business and Windows Vista Ultimate.

E. Initiating e-mail from within Windows Photo Gallery will launch a photo e-mail if Windows Live Mail is your default mail application. If Windows Live Mail is not your default mail application, initiating e-mail from within Photo Gallery will enable the resizing and attachment of photos as e-mail attachments using your default mail client.

G. Premium Windows Vista games, such as Chess Titans, Mahjong Titans, Purble Place, and Inkball, are available in Windows Vista Home Premium and Windows Vista Ultimate.

H. For a video conversation with Windows Live Messenger, you and your contact will need web cameras and speakers or a headset and broadband internet access.

I. Internet service provider subscription or other service fees may apply.

K. Editions of Windows Vista designated as 'N' or 'KN' versions includes the same functionality as the corresponding standard Windows Vista editions, except that they do not include Windows Media Player and related technologies such as Windows Movie Maker. You will need to separately install a media player in order to play or create audio CDs, media files, or personal videos; organize media library content; create playlists; transfer media to portable media players; share photos on a home network; or perform other media player-related tasks.

L. The ability to use the Multilingual User Interface feature to deploy a single worldwide image with all Windows user interface languages is available only in the Enterprise and Ultimate editions. See TechNet for details.

M. Windows Media Center is available in Windows Vista Home Premium and Windows Vista Ultimate. TV playback and recording features require an integrated or external USB TV tuner. Supports up to two TV tuners in all supported regions subject to Windows Vista compatibility with local TV standards; additional DTV/HDTV tuner support is available in the U.S. and South Korea with compatible hardware. To enjoy all the benefits of Windows Media Center, Internet access is recommended; for some features, such as the Microsoft Electronic Programming Guide, it is required. Internet service provider subscription or other service fees may apply. Microsoft Electronic Programming Guide is not available in all regions or countries. DVD burning, TV features, and remote control support may vary by manufacturer and/or require additional purchases. Support for the Media Center Extender or Xbox 360 will require a wired or wireless home network and additional compatible networking equipment.

N. Additional compatible networking equipment may be required to set up or access a wired or wireless home network.

O. Some Windows Live OneCare services are not available in all markets. See the Windows Live OneCare website for complete details and offer availability. Windows Live OneCare Family Safety Settings contacts list limits the child to communicate with approved contacts only when the child uses Windows Live Messenger, Windows Live Spaces, and Windows Live Hotmail.

P. To place a PC-to-PC call, both users must have Messenger installed, a compatible microphone and speakers or a headset, and Internet access (webcam and broadband required for video). Computer-to-phone calling can be used for placing outgoing calls only. Recipients may be charged a fee by their mobile provider to receive calls. The ability to call phones is a pay service provided by a third party. If this is your first call from Windows Live Messenger, click the Learn More button first and complete the signup process.

S. Scheduled and Network Backup is available in Windows Vista Home Premium, Windows Vista Business, and Windows Vista Ultimate.

T. Windows SideShow is available in Windows Vista Home Premium, Windows Vista Business, Windows Vista Enterprise, and Windows Vista Ultimate.

U. Windows DVD Maker, HD support for Windows Movie Maker, Chess Titans, and Mahjong Titans are available in Windows Vista Home Premium and Windows Vista Ultimate.

V. Requires a microphone and speakers or headset (webcam and broadband connection for video).

Introducing Windows Vista

Windows Vista brings clarity to your world so you can focus on what matters most to you

Today's digital world is both exciting and at times overwhelming. Although the tools for managing digital information have grown in capability and richness, they still require you to invest a significant amount of time learning how to use them. And the exciting possibilities technology brings to life are sometimes overshadowed by the frustrations. For example, you need to manually organize your information into folders and use naming conventions that the PC understands. Windows Vista is different. It puts you at the center and adapts to your needs, rather than the other way around. Plus a lineup of products designed with the distinct needs of key audiences in mind—general users, small businesses, and medium and large organizations—ensures that there is a product that meets the needs of you or your organization.

For general users, Windows Vista makes it easier, safer, and more entertaining to use your PC virtually anytime and anywhere. It lets you get things done and get on with life by making it easier and faster than ever to find, use, manage, and share information on a PC or on the Web. The security and health of your PC is automated with features such as Windows Defender that protect you against pop-ups, slow performance, and security threads caused by spyware or other unwanted software. Windows Media Center expands your ability to enjoy and share your television, photos, music, and games—in your living room or around your house—all with the click of a remote control. And you can take it all with you—you're free to enjoy your entertainment and connect and share information with friends or family on the go.

For businesses, Windows Vista helps ensure that your company's PCs are more secure, reliable, and low-cost to deploy and manage. It's built from the ground up for enhanced security and the new security features further protect information-based businesses from unauthorized, accidental, and intentional misuse of intellectual property. This reduces the time and expense associated with enforcing policies and recovering from violations. Windows Vista also helps your organization's efficiency by letting your users find, organize, and share information effectively and connect to people, information, and devices virtually anytime, anywhere.

Some product features are only available in certain editions of Windows Vista and may require advanced or additional hardware.