Windows Vista Home Premium
As a true superset of Home Basic, Windows Vista Home Premium will
include everything from Home Basic, as well as Media Center and Media
Center Extender functionality (including Cable Card support), DVD
Maker DVD authoring, Tablet PC functionality, Mobility Center and
other mobility and presentation features, auxiliary display support,
P2P ad-hoc meeting capabilities, Wi-Fi auto-config and roaming, unified
parental controls that work over multiple PCs, backup to network
functionality, Internet File Sharing, Offline Folders, PC-to-PC sync,
Sync Manager, and support for Microsoft's upcoming Quattro Home Server,
a Windows Server 2003 R2-based server product aimed at the home market.
Windows Vista Premium is similar to XP Media Center Edition, except
that it adds numerous other features and functionality, including
Tablet PC support. My guess is that this will be the volume consumer
offering in the Windows Vista timeframe (today, XP Pro is the dominant
seller). This version is aimed at PC enthusiasts, multiple-PC homes,
homes with kids, and notebook users.
The marketing message: Home Premium turns it up a notch. In addition
to the baseline functionality offered in Home Basic, this version
focuses on such things as integrated entertainment (movies, memories,
and more), mobility (media and productivity on the go), and connected
living (connect with family, friends, and home). Home Premium supplies
whole-home entertainment and personal productivity throughout the
home and on the go.
For a look at Windows Vista Home Premium, 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) |
|
