Windows Vista Home Basic
A simple version of Windows Vista that is aimed at single PC homes.
Windows Vista Home Basic is the baseline version of Windows Vista,
and the version that all other product editions will build from.
It will include features such as Windows Firewall, Windows Security
Center, secure wireless networking, parental controls, anti-spam/anti-virus/anti-spyware
functionality, network map, Windows Search, Movie Maker, Photo Library,
Windows Media Player, Outlook Express with RSS support, P2P Messenger,
and more. Windows Vista Home Basic is roughly analogous to Windows
XP Home Edition. This version is aimed at general consumers, Windows
9x/XP Starter Edition upgraders, and price sensitive/first-time buyers.
Like Vista Starter, Vista Home Basic
will not support the new Aero user interface.
The marketing message: For mainstream Windows customers, Home Basic
is where it all begins. Here, Microsoft will be pushing "peace of
mind" and "performance," and will promise consumers a faster, more
secure and reliable productivity experience. Home Basic is secure
by default and easy to keep secure. You can trust Windows with your
most important tasks and data and complete everyday tasks faster.
For a look at Windows Vista Home Basic, see my screenshot
gallery.
| Fundamentals |
| Feature |
Vista
Basic |
Vista
Premium |
Vista Business
|
Vista
Ultimate |
| SafeDocs backup and restore |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
| Backup (scheduled) |
No |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
| Backup (network-based) |
No |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
| Shadow copy client |
No |
No |
Yes |
Yes |
| Encrypted File System (EFS) |
No |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
| Supports migration from XP |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
| Productivity |
| Feature |
Vista
Basic |
Vista
Premium |
Vista Business |
Vista
Ultimate |
| Desktop Window Manager (DWM) |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
| Aero glass, animations, visual effects |
No |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
| Productivity features (rolodex, tab previews, task bar previews) |
No |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
| Unlimited screen resolution support |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
| Fast User Switching (FUS) |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
| Communications |
| Feature |
Vista
Basic |
Vista
Premium |
Vista Business |
Vista
Ultimate |
| RDP/Remote Desktop |
No |
No |
Yes |
Yes |
| P2P Meeting Place (ad-hoc meetings, people discovery, presentation broadcast) |
No |
No |
Yes |
Yes |
| Windows Web Server (optional) |
No |
No |
Yes |
Yes |
| Windows Fax client |
No |
No |
Yes (opt) |
Yes (opt) |
| Digital Media & Entertainment |
| Feature |
Vista
Basic |
Vista
Premium |
Vista Business |
Vista
Ultimate |
| DVD Video Authoring |
No |
Yes |
No |
Yes |
| Direct Media Mode |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
| Media Center (including Extender and games) |
No |
Yes |
No |
Yes |
| Number of remote Media Center sessions supported |
n/a |
5 |
n/a |
5 |
| Movie Maker HD Publishing |
No |
Yes |
No |
Yes |
| Advanced Photography features |
No |
Yes |
Yes (opt) |
Yes (opt) |
| Premium Games (3D Chess, Shanghai Solitaire) |
No |
Yes (Opt) |
Yes (Opt) |
Yes (Opt) |
| Windows Media Player 11 and related components |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
| Networking |
| Feature |
Vista
Basic |
Vista
Premium |
Vista Business |
Vista
Ultimate |
| Number of supported network connections |
5 |
10 |
10 |
10 |
| Domain join support |
No |
Quattro
only |
Yes |
Yes |
| 1:1 Network projection |
No |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
| SNMP support |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes (Opt) |
Yes (Opt) |
| Internet Connection Sharing (ICS) |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
| Mobility |
| Feature |
Vista
Basic |
Vista
Premium |
Vista Business |
Vista
Ultimate |
| PC-to-PC Sync |
No |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
| Mobility Center |
No |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
| Tablet PC functionality |
No |
Yes (Opt) |
Yes (Opt) |
Yes (Opt) |
| Auxiliary Display support |
No |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
| Offline folders with client-side caching |
No |
No |
Yes |
Yes |
| PC management |
| Feature |
Vista
Basic |
Vista
Premium |
Vista Business |
Vista
Ultimate |
| Subsystem for UNIX-based Applications (SUA) |
No |
No |
No |
Yes (Opt) |
| Secure Startup (Cornerstone) |
No |
No |
No |
Yes (Opt) |
| Single Session Virtual PC |
No |
No |
No |
Yes (Opt) |
| Multi-Language User Interface (MUI) |
No |
No |
No |
Yes (Opt) |
|
