Why is Microsoft even offering Windows 7 Ultimate?
Through July 11, Microsoft is offering steep discounts on Windows 7 upgrades for the Home and Pro versions of the software--but not Windows 7 Ultimate.
Windows 7 Professional: What you really need.
(Credit: Microsoft)According to a CNET report, users can "preorder Windows 7 Home Premium or Professional at roughly half the list price, but the Ultimate version is offered at the full $219 price."
Those who currently use Windows Vista Ultimate and were hoping to switch to Windows 7 Ultimate were understandably upset. After getting little more than a few extras with Vista Ultimate, like Microsoft's BitLocker Drive Encryption software, they were hoping they'd be treated better this time around when they opted for Windows 7 Ultimate.
No such luck.
But instead of railing against Microsoft for treating its Windows Vista Ultimate customers so poorly, perhaps we should turn our focus to Windows 7 Ultimate itself. It might be the follow-up to Windows Vista Ultimate. Microsoft might have thrown every feature into it. But if we take an objective look at what it really offers, I don't think Microsoft can justify its existence as a consumer operating system.
According to Microsoft's Windows 7 Web page, Windows 7 Ultimate edition sports just two features that you won't find in Windows 7 Professional: a full language pack, which includes support for 35 languages, and the company's BitLocker software. A press release Microsoft sent to journalists in February lists BranchCache and DirectAccess support, as well.
It's silly. BitLocker was included in Windows Vista Ultimate. I'm willing to bet that if you asked most Windows Vista Ultimate users how often they use BitLocker, they'll wonder what you're talking about.
Although it's nice to see Microsoft supporting multiple languages for those more comfortable computing in their first language, a relatively small subset of the market will actually want such a feature. For many, it's a waste. And since both BranchCache and DirectAccess are designed specifically for enterprise users, consumers won't have any reason to use those tools either.
Why did Microsoft even consider releasing Windows 7 Ultimate? It's not only more expensive than Windows 7 Professional, which sports all the features most folks would need anyway, but its add-ons are, once again, inconsequential.
For its part, Microsoft is saying that Windows 7 Ultimate isn't for everyone. Windows General Manager Mike Ybarra said in an interview with Microsoft PressPass, the company's PR arm, that Windows 7 Ultimate is for the "enthusiast."
"There is a small set of customers who want everything Windows 7 has to offer," Ybarra said. "So, we will continue to have Windows 7 Ultimate edition to meet that specialized need.
"Windows 7 Ultimate edition is designed for PC enthusiasts who 'want it all' and customers who want the security features such as BitLocker found in Windows 7 Enterprise edition."
Although I haven't seen Microsoft's customer research, I have a hard time believing the PC enthusiast will look at Windows 7 Ultimate as the go-to version. PC enthusiasts are generally experts with a high-level of computing knowledge. Why would they pick an overpriced OS edition whose features can't justify its price?
Quite the contrary, Windows 7 Ultimate edition looks like a sucker's bet. Folks who go to the store with little knowledge about software will be left wondering why they shouldn't just spend an additional $20 for Windows 7 Ultimate when, judging by the name, it must be better than Professional. (Boxed copies of Windows 7, available in October, will cost $119 for Home Premium, $199 for Professional, and $219 for Ultimate.)
Windows 7 Ultimate is really only Windows 7 Enterprise by another name. It offers nothing compelling that would make home or even small business users want to buy it. And yet, Microsoft is still selling it at full price.
Once again, Microsoft has damaged the "Ultimate" moniker. Maybe it's best if it fades away before Microsoft ostracizes even more customers.
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Don Reisinger is a technology columnist who has written about everything from HDTVs to computers to Flowbee Haircut Systems. Don is a member of the CNET Blog Network, and posts at The Digital Home. He is not an employee of CNET. Disclosure.
This is the same with almost all software. From Photoshop Elements ->Photoshop or FinalCut light -> Finalcut pro.
Ultimate is kind of an odd-ball and most likely shouldn't have been offered, the Home/Pro versioning benefits the end user by only paying for what you would normally use.
Do you not remember the days when Windows came in just 1 version for a single reasonable price? Wasn't that great? I really don't understand anyone who remembers that who now argues that multiple versions is "a good idea". Multiple versions suck, always have done and always will do.
Do you not remember the days when Windows came in just 1 version for a single reasonable price? Wasn't that great? I really don't understand anyone who remembers that who now argues that multiple versions is "a good idea". Multiple versions suck, always have done and always will do.
Apple: Leopard consumer, Leopard server
Adobe: Photoshop Elements, Photoshop
Microsoft: Vista Starter edition, Windows Vista Home Basic, Windows Vista Home Premium, Windows Windows Vista Business, Windows Vista Enterprise, Windows Vista Ultimate
BTW, not sure what Apple have to do with this story (troll?) but in case you hadn't noticed Microsoft is also a rather large hardware company - see if you can guess which hardware they make.
Different levels for different needs. If your going to get confused over that then you need to stay off the computer.
Do you really need to be such a fanboi about your favorite OS? I just happen to think the windows product lines could do with a little pruning. Sincere apologies that I have a different opinion than you.
Yes, and that Windows 3.1 and Windows 95 cost was the same as Vista or Windows 7 (maybe even more if yyou factor the inflation in), while being much much less powerful.
I agree with Don, they might as well do away with Ultimate because there isn't anything compelling in it. That said is it bad to have choices at different price points? Should all Honda Civics come completely loaded? Maybe they should be completely stripped down and if you want power windows you should go buy an Accord? Should they get rid of all moon roofs because they're a money making add on that I don't particularly care for? Now doesn't that sound silly?
I bet you could label a version Windows 7+ Ultimate Gold Platinum Edition and charge another 20.
Snow Leopard is like XP SP1, except for 30 bucks.
If people buy Ultimate without knowing what they're getting for it, then they deserve to be screwed over. Most people have a clue, recognize that they don't need bitlocker and language packs, and won't buy it. There are easy to read charts online, and probably on the back of the retail box.
You make the assumption that buyers of the 3GS and unannounced iPod Touch (you do realise that you are quoting specifications based on rumour, yes?) are existing owners of the previous model and I'm honestly not convinced that is true. I'm buying a 3GS but that's because my current phone comes from an age when dinosaurs ruled the earth and I certainly don't buy replacements for devices each time there is a refresh.
And what the hell is Snow Leopard.
**** theres not one feature in it that benefits the average user.
@bilesode
And what the hell is Snow Leopard.
**** theres not one feature in it that benefits the average user."
@monkeyfun14--If you don't know what SL will do for the average user, then maybe you should stay off the computer, or at least stop talking about things you know nothing about.
Hardly. There is a lot of stuff that works far better in 7 than in that abortion of an OS, Vista. I've been running Vista for over a year, and Win 7 for about 6 mos now, on duplicate hardware. The Vista is doggedly awful slow, While Win 7 just continues to cruise. 7 is FAR superior in its housekeeping tasks, and you won't find a bloated winsxs folder there, at least not the size of in Vista.
There ARE Apple fanboys however, and I'm pretty sure you are one of them.
Most windows folks I know roll their eyes at the windows problems they have. Much better grounding in reality.
Just so you know, I juse all 3. Windows, Linux, and OS X.
BitLocker? Nah - get TrueCrypt; it actually works on all platforms, and one can even hide a partition within a partition. Language Support? Okay... but why charge for that? Linux and OSX already come with it, but the number of people who want more than one language on their individual computer's GUI is pretty tiny, and certainly not enough to justify a whole product line.
re: "The only way this would be worth it to you is if you are a corporate buyer"
Not seeing how either DirectAccess or BranchCache would benefit a corporate environment...
ad-hominem like that simply means you have no argument (else you would have at least provided examples), and have to resort to the playground.
Heh - OSX and Linux have that standard ;)
Besides - cygwin is free for the download and actually gives one a bash prompt.
you are getting ripped off people, do your research
May want to check the documentation for Windows' own in-OS native encryption, then... if you lose the password to an encrypted file, directory, or partition, you cannot recover it; Microsoft's own documentation says as much.
http://www.winsupersite.com/win7/win7_skus_compare.asp
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Windows_7_editions#Comparison_chart
This is a change from Vista Business, where these entertainment features were left out of the 'business' editions. So, if you were planning to get Ultimate just because it gave you Windows Media Center along with remote desktop, you can save your money.
Oh wait..
Perhaps you mean Windows 95? Nope. Again, Windows NT was offered. And ever subsequent version of Windows had a at least a business version offered along side a home version. Perhaps they had different names, but were still offered at the same time.
Oh, you must mean Windows 2.0, when MS was giving Windows away for free. Those were the days, for sure.
pot calling kettle black?
most of you are Apple fanbois, right?
Anyone arguing that multiple versions of Windows is somehow a "good thing" have clearly lost the plot. A single version of the OS is all that is necessary and Microsoft can control its income simply through the cost of licenses (private retail sales, businesses and OEMs).
Apple: Leopard consumer, Leopard server
Adobe: Photoshop Elements, Photoshop
Microsoft: Vista Starter edition, Windows Vista Home Basic, Windows Vista Home Premium, Windows Windows Vista Business, Windows Vista Enterprise, Windows Vista Ultimate
BTW, not sure what Apple have to do with this story (troll?) but in case you hadn't noticed Microsoft is also a rather large hardware company - see if you can guess which hardware they make.
Also, here are the actual items included in Ultimate that aren't in pro:
AppLocker
BitLocker Drive Encryption
BranchCache Distributed Cache
DirectAccess
Subsystem for Unix-based Applications
Multilingual User Interface Pack
Virtual Hard Disk Booting
there are several more items that aren't included in Home Premium, here is a full list:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Windows_7_editions
Seems that there are actually several features that Ultimate has over Home Premium, and a few over Pro. Not sure who needs them, but why not charge extra?
You can however get cygwin, download it, and run a fair number of Linux apps.
(...the rest of that feature list? Pretty useless since there are either free (and better) apps that do the same thing even on Windows, or are pretty worthless for the vast majority of user (e.g. multi-language UI support).)
http://blog.endeavourpartners.net/2009/07/07/why-offer-an-extreme-version-because-of-extreme-aversion/
Check out Dan Ariel's book "Predictably Irrational", chapter 2 no relativity for more examples...
Now thats Hog Wash.
Stuff it M$.
Go Linux.
Encyclopedia of opening blunders - Convekta software
so as a home user XP program compatibility is a major plus
you work for TrueCrypt? :) you've many adult movies to hide? you've CIA files that need to be encrypt? gosh!! Normal users don't need it.
If you are enterprise IT worker then there are things you need that home users don't. Apple doesn't understand that, or they don't care. If you look at some of Adobe's other products like Acrobat they have some more editions, and they have several versions of various enterprise products with varied feature sets.
Many other enterprise vendors just sell the features, so you buy the base product, and then you shell out additional cash for the features you need.
Yes Apple definitely nickel and dime the customer, but it is at least more understandable to the consumer don't you think? Eg iLife, iWork and incremental upgrades to the OS. Not sure what's happening to quicktime though.
SAN-breaking bloat? Spaghetti code that we'll all be forced to support until the end of time? A crap email server that stores everything in an opaque and easily-corrupted database? Ooh! Ooh! I know... Active(*cough*LDAP*cough*)Directory!
Dude, seriously... there has got to be a better way than simply writing huge PO's to Microsoft and praying that you can get tested and patched up before your network gets bit by zero-day malware each month...
Oh, wait - there already is. Requires the Em-See-Ess-Eee's to actually know a little something about UNIX first, but...
Cheers!
Mac OS isn't ready for enterprise yet
Now on the consumer side? OSX is the way to go - or Linux if you want to keep your existing PC.
OTOH, there are still a few bugs in 7 that need working out (e.g. transferring more than ~10-15GB of data between two USB hard disks... works fine on XP or on any other OS, but Vista locks up while 7 quietly chokes on it and cancels the process). I'm willing to give that a pass for now (at least until RTM, at which point I will point and laugh mercilessly...)
Detailed chart showing what each version offers.
- by Idyot July 7, 2009 7:06 AM PDT
- I have 2 Vista Home Premium PCs and 1 Vista Ultimate PC. I pre-ordered 2 copies of Windows 7 Home Premium for $49.99 USD. I will not be upgrading the Utlimate PC - for the time being.
- Like this Reply to this comment
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Showing 1 of 4 pages (160 Comments)IMO, I would have liked Microsoft to have acknowledged the $290 USD that I spent for a retail copy of Vista Ultimate by offering Vista Ultimate owners a special pre-order price of $49.99 for Windows 7 Professional.
If Microsoft had done so, I would have downgraded my Vista Ultimate to Windows 7 Professional without a second thought - but I won't do it if I have to pay $99.99 for a downgrade.