Windows 10 Which Version Should You Get?
Microsoft’s Windows 10
is coming to a computer near you in a little more than a week. And,
like its two most recent predecessors (the widely reviled Windows 8 and
fan favorite Windows 7), Windows 10 will be available in a wide variety
of different flavors.
More
specifically, Microsoft is going to be selling seven versions of
Windows this time around (because making things easy is apparently
overrated).
Which
of those seven will be right for you? Which ones should you avoid at
all costs? You’ve got those and other questions; we’ve got answers.
No
need to freak, that’s just how Microsoft rolls. They release multiple
versions of their operating systems to make sure that the right mix of
features go to the right kinds of users. After all, if you’re a solitary
gamer at home, your list of Windows requirements will be way different
from those of an IT manager at a Fortune 500 company.
Fair enough. So what are these different versions of Windows 10?
Roughly
in order of complexity, they are: Windows 10 Home, Windows 10 Pro,
Windows 10 Education, Windows 10 Enterprise, Windows 10 Mobile, Windows
10 Mobile Enterprise, and Windows 10 IoT Core.
That’s, um, a lot.
If
it makes you feel any better, the only versions most end users will
need to consider are Windows 10 Home, Windows 10 Pro, and Windows 10
Mobile.
What are the differences between those three?
Windows
10 Home is the base version of Windows 10 and comes with all of the
cool new features Microsoft has been touting, including Cortana, the
classic Start menu, and new Edge Web browser. This is the version of Windows 10 that most people will end up installing on their home computers.
Windows
10 Pro takes all of the features of Windows 10 Home and adds some data
encryption tools, remote desktop support, and a few other tools meant
for small business users. For most individuals, Windows 10 Pro will be
overkill, but for some business folks it’ll be just right.
Windows
10 Mobile, meanwhile, will be the version of Windows 10 that will come
installed on Windows Phone. If you’ve got a Windows Phone 8 handset,
you’ll be eligible for a free upgrade to Windows 10 Mobile on July 29.
What about those four other versions of Windows?
Chances
are you won’t spend much time with them. Windows 10 Enterprise is
designed primarily for large companies, while Windows 10 Education is
meant for use in schools.
Windows
10 Mobile Enterprise is a mobile version of Windows 10 Enterprise for
corporate smartphones and small tablets. And Windows 10 IoT Core is
meant for people who want to design their own small gadgets, like tiny
robots.
Got it. When can I upgrade to Windows 10?
Microsoft
will let you upgrade to Windows 10 starting July 29. It will be
available as a free download for one year, after which you’ll likely
have to fork over some dough for the latest version.
Courtesy: Yahoo
