Microsoft Announces The Different Versions of Windows 10
Earlier today, Microsoft announced the different flavors of Windows 10 that will be available this summer. Windows 10 has a seemingly excess number of versions available, that is sure to confuse the average consumer.
And 7 different versions to confuse everyone
Before we get into all the versions, I want to remind everyone that within the first year that Windows 10 is out, users will have the opportunity to upgrade to Windows 10 for free if they have the consumer version of Windows 7 or 8. So with that, the two versions that Windows 7 & 8 users can upgrade to are Home and Pro. Like previous versions of Windows, Home Edition is the standard, everyday desktop version. The Pro version adds some business-oriented features, such as managing other devices, security, and their new service “Windows Update for Business“.
Windows 10 Enterprise expands on the features offered in Pro, adding services that are specifically engineered for a corporate infrastructure, such as network deployments of updates and applications.
Windows 10 Education expands on the features from Enterprise and will be available with academic volume licensing.
There’s also a version of Windows Enterprise for ATMs, retail point of sales, handheld terminals, and robotics called Windows 10 IoT Core. This is a stripped down version of Windows designed to operate on minimum hardware with minimal downtime.
Now onto the two mobile versions of Windows 10 – Windows Mobile 10 & Windows Mobile 10 Enterprise. Windows Mobile 10 is the ARM compatible version of Windows, much like Windows Phone 8. Windows 10 Mobile Enterprise adds additional security features catered towards corporate environments, which are not available on the standard Windows Mobile version. If you’re scratching your head why they have two versions, you’re not alone. This seems like the only misstep I’ve seen for Microsoft’s product launches this year. Their smartphone division is already so far behind Android and iOS, that it’s basically seen in the same light as a Blackberry. It’s really confusing why they don’t just make one version and keep it simple. iOS seems to do well in the corporate environment and they only have one version, so why can’t Microsoft?
Source:
http://blogs.windows.com/bloggingwindows/2015/05/13/introducing-windows-10-editions/
