Update, 25-Apr-2006: For an important follow-up to this post, see Vista versions: Maybe not so confusing after all
Apparently, someone at Microsoft decided to leak the upcoming mix of SKUs for Windows Vista. There are seven Vista versions in all, if Paul Thurrott’s report is to be believed.
And the reaction from the blogosphere is predictable:
The J-Walk Blog: Vista Confusion
Apparently, Microsoft’s new tactic is to confuse the marketplace as much as possible, and hope that people will buy a more expensive version than they really need.
Peter Near: Ready, Aim, Shoot self in foot
How do you confuse end-users and make it so that your customers never know if applications will work?
Confusing? Maybe not. Let’s break down those seven versions:
- Windows Vista Starter Edition. Already exists in Windows XP. Available in “emerging markets” where the average income is too low to support sales of full versions – Thailand, Malaysia, and Brazil, for instance. Will not be sold in the U.S., Canada, Europe and other developed economies.
- Windows Vista Home Basic Edition. The dirt-cheap, no-frills version for single-PC households.
- Windows Vista Home Premium Edition. Power user version, with Media Center features and home networking support. (Paul says it even supports DVD ripping. Really?)
- Windows Vista Professional Edition. The baseline business version that will go on corporate PCs that don’t need special features.
- Windows Vista Small Business Edition. Vista Pro with some extra online services for businesses that don’t have a full-time IT staff.
- Windows Vista Enterprise Edition. Includes Virtual PC and some extra features for high-end corporate PCs.
- Windows Vista Ultimate Edition. Includes everything in the high-end Home and Pro editions, with some ill-defined goodies like free downloads and online services.
So, if you’re buying a home PC, you can get the Home Basic, Home Premium, or Ultimate version. Most people will probably make the decision on price, rather than features.
If you’re configuring a corporate network, you can get the Pro or Enterprise version. Some of your really picky users might get the Ultimate version for their home PCs. Most buyers will make the decision based on IT budgets.
If you have a small business, you might want the features in that version. You’ll probably be considering Windows 2003 Small Business Server too.
That’s three choices, at most, after you decide whether you’re buying for a home, a corporation, or a small business. Is that really so confusing?
Update: Ars Technica piles on with the “confusing” meme and gets its facts all wrong:
The one thing I will say is that I fear that this may cause a great deal of confusion on behalf of your average consumer. Two versions of XP were enough to cause confusion, and now Joe Blow has four choices that may fit the bill.
Two versions of Windows XP? Try five: Starter (not available in North America), Home, Pro, Tablet, and Media Center.
Update 2: Add Dwight Silverman to the list of those picking up on the “confusing” meme:
TechBlog: Seven versions of Windows Vista??
Can you say “market confusion,” boys and girls? Microsoft certainly can!
To his credit, Dwight does note that “after reading [the details about each version], you’ll understand Microsoft’s thinking.”
And here’s Engadget:
Windows Vista to come in seven (or more) versions
We won’t tell you all the goodies each version’s supposed to have, but the next time we see him we will definitely tell Bill that staggered pricepoints and confusing upgrade feature sets are no way to ensure people buy (or like) your OS.
Ed Bott 
Most people won’t buy on price, they’ll buy on “whatever is on the computer at Best Buy”. The average consumer is not you or I. The average consumer wants Windows Vista, and that’s what they’ll buy. If they get the wrong version and can’t do something that they think they should be able to (after reading an article or talking to their kids) they will either be upset with the OEM or with Microsoft.
I’ve been down this road with MCE when it became “between Home and Pro” and it caused minor havoc. It’s an opinion I know, but mine is a fairly strong one that there needs to be one and only one home version of Windows.
Most people do buy on price. More than 90% of Windows copies are sold with new PCs. If you buy a cheap PC, you get the no-frills OS. If you buy something a little more upscale, with better multimedia features, you get the Premium OS. And the OEM will try to upsell you to the Ultimate version.
As long as there’s a clear market niche and positioning for each product and an easy and affordable upgrade path, I really don’t see this as a big deal.
As a test, I asked my wife (semi-technical) tonight a series of questions:
Do you know the difference between XP Home and Pro? No.
If you were buying a PC would you know which you needed? No.
What if you had 7 different options to choose from? Rolls the eyes.
The point she helped me clarify is that most people don’t even know that there’s two versions of XP (let alone all the latest flavours like MCE, Tablet, etc). I think that trying to segment the home market will cause anger and confusion amongst the everyman.
It’s nice to have this discussion here with you Ed, because the reason that we’re talking about it is that we’re passionate about the product and want it to succeed (not simple MS bashing that will no doubt occur elsewhere). My personl bias is that I want to see MCE functionality in every home machine in the market, and with this scheme I’m guessing that most home machines will come with home basic and I’ll still be fighting the fight to get MCE into the mainstream.
In the end, you’re right it’s not that big a deal. The market will settle on one home version to be bundled with most of the PCs and that’s what consumers will see as “Windows Vista”. And the rest of the good stuff will remain fringe.
It’s not a big deal, but I’m disappointed nonetheless. Maybe Paul’s got it wrong, then we’ll all look silly. 😉
But your wife won’t be offered seven choices. Because she lives in North America, she won’t be offered Starter Edition. That’s six.
She’s not a small business owner, so she won’t need that. Nor will she be offered the Enterprise edition. And Professional is Basic for business. And she’s buying for the home. So we’re down to three choices.
In fact, big mail-order shops like Dell and Gateway make you choose Home, Small Business, or Enterprise before you get to pick a product. Best Buy sells only consumer PCs. So no one should be offered more than three choices of OS for their mew PC.
If I were selling the PC, I would ask:
Do you want the lowest price?
Do you want advanced media features to go with your upgraded hardware?
Do you want every conceivable doodad and gizmo, including the ability to copy DVDs to your PC?
Ask your wife those questions and see if they make sense.
And yes, I agree this is a fun conversation. I also think that more options are better. Why should your grandparents have to pay $50 extra when all they want is the ability to look at digital pictures and send e-mail?
It’s confusing because we’re not really sure what ‘doodads’ and ‘gizmos’ will be included with each version. My guess is that we’ll get by on the low-end version and just use 3rd party software (or hacking) to make our machines do what we want them to do. Either that or get a Mac (and I’m a convert FROM Mac to Windows).
Aha, but if they want to view pictures and email I’m not even sure which one they would need. I’m thinking probably basic, but then again I might make my photo website MCE compatible at some point and then it’d be wayyyyy better for them to do that with premium.
Ed,
I can understand Microsoft’s thinking, but the problem is 90 percent of users will NOT. My parents, who’ll be interested in upgrading, will be completely flummoxed by this, for example.
Microsoft’s marketing makes sense if you’re a techie, not if you’re a consumer. Simple is always better, which is something Microsoft never seems to get.
Hi Ed,
You are obviously a knowledgeable, practically minded computer professional. As am I. Which is why I agree with your point of view in supporting Microsoft’s approach to marketing their operating systems based on different target environments. Heck, even RedHat does that. Giving consumers a good choice is what business is all about these days. You should only pay for what you need. Just look at the choices we face when buying a new television these days!
I think Microsoft needs to take this even further. I don’t use Internet Explorer, so I shouldn’t have to pay extra for it. Same with Media Player. Same with Paint, and all those other useless accessories and free games. It all just takes up space on my hard drive – and I should not have to pay for it! Ultimately, it would be perfect if computer professionals could install fully customized operating systems, and only be billed for the final product once the installation is complete. Current technologies can now support this. For example, you can now “build your own PC” at the Dell website, and get a quote for what your custom system will cost.
Operating system installations can work that way as well. The core installation should be all that any user is required to pay. Then they can go online and add only the extra “features” they wish to pay extra for. Of course, that would be just too fair and practical. So, of course, in this competitive world, that will never happen. Everybody is always trying to sell you stuff that you just don’t need.
I recall hearing that Microsoft’s original intention was to have only one version of Windows that suits everyone’s needs, from home users to corporations. So much for that.
AI, I’ve been covering Windows for 15 years, and I never heard anyone at Microsoft say that. They did say they want a single kernel, which they implemented with Windows XP.
It seems to me that Home versions won’t be multi-cpu capable. How does this fly with multi-cores?
AMD 64 X2 and Intel Core Duo are going to be very common by the time Vista is out.
I actually think .net 1.1 is a fairly good product, but it ended up being way slower than the previous technology. Additionally Visual Basic 2003.net was less capable in many ways than Visual Basic 3.0. Apparently .net 2.0 is far worse performance-wise.
I think that Office lost something going from 4.3 to 6.0 and ever since, in some ways has continued to move away from the initial excellence. Originally a VBA dialog editor was part of the package, at some stage this became an external feature (and I never used it again).
It seems to me that what I perceive as the same flawed strategic thinking has developed the new pricing structure for windows.
Why have three different versions of windows. Why not supply lite versions of pacakges with Windows and a Pro version you have to buy: eg:
Windows Vista (includes Movie Maker Basic as in XP).
Windows Movie Maker Pro (extra $100).
This is how Apple works, and it’s as clear as daylight to consumers.
If Movie maker isn’t part of the basic package, and I’m putting together a PC for home, and I have to spend $200 to get Ultimate windows vista with movie maker, I’m going to evaluate a LOT of alternatives.
Jeff, all Vista versions will fully support dual-core CPUs and will be available for 64-bit installations.
As for the feature suggestion, that’s essentially what they’re doing: Movie Maker is in Home Basic, Movie Maker HD is in Premium versions.
Come on guys lets get realistic here. There are essentially 2 versions that an end consumer will never see – Enterprise and starter. There are 2 choices of end user and 2 for business and 1 for the geek that wants it all. So for an end consumer they choose a basic system or an advanced with easily distinguished feature. Same goes for business. When buying something at that sort of cost level from a store at least basic guidance should be given by the store or reading a magazine.
In reality I can buy 5 different types of petrol when I fill up. If you buy a TV there are hundreds of choices – why on earth should M$ make there stuff an advise free decision. If you want to buy stuff on the cheap from the web its your own problem to inform yourself.