Vista: Ready To Launch, But Which Version?

From the January-March 2007 Issue & 2007 Tax Season Survival Guide

Well, here it is the middle of October (when I’m writing this column). The 2006 tax season is finally drawing to an end, and the 2007 season is only three months away — now that’s depressing. However, you may very well be cranking those 2007 returns on a new operating system — Windows Vista. Microsoft has imposed its own deadline of October 25 for the release of Vista, and I’m writing this article on RC-1 (RC is for Release Candidate) while downloading RC-2. Each subsequent release gets a little better — more included driver support and more stability. I’m particularly impressed with the performance enhancements and the modern look and feel of the OS. I have written previously about Windows Vista, but because we’re so close to launch (and actually, by the time you read this, you will either own or have thought about owning the OS), I wanted to write some more about the version choices for Vista.

Microsoft licensing is well known for the confusing and many times frustrating myriad of choices with its various products. Licensing alone needs a specialist to determine which licensing method is right for you. With the addition of Windows Vista, that tradition continues with five (count ’em) different version choices. The five versions, in no particular order, are as follows: