The Windows Vista product line is expected to consist of six versions, two for businesses, three for consumers, and one for emerging markets. Each Windows Vista product is designed to meet specific needs of various egments of customers; home PC users, small and medium-sized businesses and the largest enterprises. It is also aimed at bringing 64-bit, Media Center and Tablet PC functionality into the mainstream.
Windows Vista Business (Full packaged Retail Product)
Designed for organizations of all sizes. For small businesses, Windows Vista Business will help keep PCs running smoothly and more securely so they are less reliant on dedicated IT support. For larger organizations, Windows Vista Business will provide dramatic new infrastructure improvements that will enable IT staff to spend less time focused on day-to-day maintenance of PCs and more time on adding strategic value to the organization.
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Windows Vista Enterprise (Available only to Microsoft Software Assurance customers)
Designed to significantly lower IT costs and risk. Windows Vista Enterprise will be offered only to business customers participating in Microsoft Software Assurance program.
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Windows Vista Home Basic (Full packaged Retail Product)
Windows Vista Home Basic is a great choice for homes with basic computing needs. For consumers who want to simply use the PC to browse the Internet, correspond with friends and family through e-mail or perform basic document creation and editing tasks, Windows Vista Home Basic will deliver a safer, more reliable and more productive computing environment. It will provide new tools and technologies for making the PC more secure and enjoyable, including features such as a new Search Explorer, Sidebar and Parental Controls.
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Windows Vista Home Premium (Full packaged Retail Product)
Windows Vista Home Premium will help consumers use mobile or desktop PC functionality more effectively while enabling the enjoyment of new, exciting digital entertainment experiences.
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Windows Vista Ultimate (Full packaged Retail Product)
This edition of Windows Vista is said to 'have it all'. It is the first operating system that brings together all the entertainment features, mobility features and business-oriented features available in Windows Vista.
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Windows Vista Starter
Designed to empower families and entry-level PC users in these markets to experience the world of social and educational benefits that personal computer technology and the Internet makes possible. A 32-bit operating system designed specifically for lower-cost computers, Windows Vista Starter enables popular beginner PC activities and provides an easy-to-use and more affordable entry point to the Windows Vista family of products.
800-Megahertz (MHz) 32-bit (x86) processor or 800-MHz 64-bit (x64) processor
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512 Megabytes (MB) of system memory
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DirectX 9-class graphics card
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32 MB of graphics memory
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20 Gigabyte (GB) hard disk that has 15 GB of free hard disk space
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Internal or external DVD drive
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Internet access capability
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Audio output capability
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Windows Vista Home Premium, Windows Vista Business, Windows Vista Enterprise & Windows Vista Ultimate
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1-Gigahertz (GHz) 32-bit (x86) processor or 1-GHz 64-bit (x64) processor
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1 GB of system memory
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Windows Aero-capable graphics card
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Note: This includes a DirectX 9-class graphics card that supports the following:
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A WDDM driver,
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Pixel Shader 2.0 in hardware,
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32 bits per pixel.
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128 MB of graphics memory (minimum)
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40 GB hard disk that has 15 GB of free hard disk space (the 15GB of free space provides room for temporary file storage during the install or upgrade.)
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Internal or external DVD drive
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Internet access capability
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Audio output capability
Note:A Windows Aero-capable graphics card is a graphics card that meets the following requirements:
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Supports a Windows Display Driver Model (WDDM) driver
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Has a DirectX 9-class graphics processor unit (GPU) that supports Pixel Shader 2.0
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Supports 32 bits per pixel
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Passes the Windows Aero acceptance test in the Windows Driver Kit (WDK)
Vista Test OK
