Which Version of Windows 10 Should You Get?
Which Version of Windows 10 Should You Get?
You’ve seen the news about Windows 10. You’ve learned that it’s free and includes cool features like a voice-activated digital assistant named Cortana, the information-packed Action Center, faster startup, virtual desktops, and the return of the Start menu. So perhaps you’re thinking you might want to actually give this new operating system a shot. But which versions should you get?
It turns out that it’s a far less complicated question than it’s been for every previous version of Windows. For most people, there will only be two options: Home and Pro. And if you’re upgrading through the toolbar button that Microsoft has displayed on Windows 7 and 8 desktop toolbars, the decision will be made for you. If you’re running Windows 7 or 8 Home Edition, you’ll get Windows 10 Home Edition. Likewise for Windows 7 Professional and Windows 8 Pro. Here’s a table from Microsoft that explains what edition of Windows 10 you’ll be upgraded to:
Missing from this table are several more specialized flavors of Windows—Enterprise and Windows 10 IoT Core—but these won’t be options for typical consumers. Enterprise, as the name suggests, will be offered to larger organizations in volume licensing, and will be deployed and managed by the company’s IT departments. Windows 10 IoT Core will be the embedded version of the new Microsoft OS that will be built into circuit boards on wearables, small sensors, and equipment like vending machines. There’s also a version of Windows 10 IoT Core for hobbyists working with theRaspberry Pi and Arduino robots. There are actually four sub-flavors of Windows 10 IoT: Standard, Mobile, Compact, and Micro; but again, most consumers don’t need to concern themselves about these.
32-bit or 64-bit?
And then there’s the question of 32-bit versus 64-bit. This refers to the width in bits of the data path that the processor can handle. Most PCs manufactured within the last few years run at 64-bits, which allows more memory use by applications; 32-bit PCs are limited to between 3MB and 4MB of RAM for applications. This is especially important for memory-intensive applications like high-resolution photo editing or video editing. Windows 10 will offer both, and the updater will upgrade your PC to whichever bit-depth your current PC is running.
Some recent small tablets and older PCs still run 32-bit, and in general it’s a good idea to stick with the bit-width your machine came with. You’ll also have to update all your hardware device drivers if you switch bit-width. To make the switch, you’ll need to do a clean install of Windows 10 from bootable media. It’s not clear at the moment whether you’ll be able to upgrade from a 32-bit version of Windows 7 or 8 to a 64-bit version of Windows 10 without having to spring for the USB installer, which costs $119.99 for Home and $199.99 for Pro. I’ve requested this information from Microsoft and will update this article when I receive the answer. Also keep in mind that the exhortation to back up your data before an operating system update is especially in order for this kind of change.
Upgrading from Home to Pro
First of all, why would you want to upgrade from Home to Pro? What are the differences? Compared with previous versions of Windows, there are fewer reasons consumers would want to run the Pro edition of Windows 10. The benefits are almost completely of interest to larger business users. In Windows 8, you needed Pro to get Windows Media Center, but that’s no longer available in either version. (Instead, users will need to turn to third-party offerings such as CyberLink’s PowerDVD.)
Here’s the full list of what you get in Pro over what’s in the Home edition:
- Domain Join
- Group Policy Management
- BitLocker2
- Enterprise Mode Internet Explorer (EMIE)
- Assigned Access 8.1
- Remote Desktop
- Client Hyper-V
The one feature on this list that may be of interest to non-corporate users is BitLocker, which allows security-minded folks to encrypt their hard drives. It also includes the BitLocker To Go feature, which lets you encrypt USB drives. Client Hyper-V could be of interest to hobbyists who want to run multiple operating system in virtual machine setups, but they will need a 64-bit system that has Second Level Address Translation (SLAT), found in many recent 64-bit processors from Intel and AMD.
After all that, if you’ve decided you want or need Windows 10 Pro, you’ll have to purchase the $99.99 Windows 10 Pro Pack. (The identical deal held for Window 8.1, by the way.)
Should You Take the Plunge?
All reports are pointing to Windows 10 being something you want to get in on. We’ve already outlined 10 Reasons to Upgrade and shown you Cortana, Action Center, the Photos app, and the Groove Music app. But maybe the most appealing reasons to upgrade are that, unlike Windows 8, it’s familiar and it’s free. There are certainly cases for not upgrading. In the past, Microsoft has often confused users with the number of editions and versions available. But, this time, if you do decide to get with the Windows 10 program, your choice is pretty simple.
malikmuddser