SOLVED Should I Purchase Professional Upgrade

[Mongo]

I'm getting ready to purchase a gaming laptop and want to know if purchasing the Professional Upgrade is necessary. I will not be connecting the PC to work as I'm retiring. I do have a lot of Windows XP software. Any advice would be great. Thanks in advance.

 

[Nibiru2012]

To be honest with you the Pro upgrade would be a waste of money in my opinion.

Home Premium should do all that you have stated with no problems.

These are the three extra features you'll get if you go to Pro:

1. Run many Windows XP productivity programs in Windows XP Mode.
2. Connect to company networks easily and more securely with Domain Join
3. In addition to full-system Backup and Restore found in all editions, you can back up to a home or business network.

That's it, for the price of the $90 some odd dollars extra, it would probably not be worth it to you.

Go here to the Windows 7 website to compare the different editions:
http://www.microsoft.com/windows/windows-7/compare/default.aspx

Whatever you decide however will be the right decision for you and your applications.

 

[Mongo]

Thank you. Can I upgrade at a later time if I determine it is needed?

 

[DallasDad]

Thank you. Can I upgrade at a later time if I determine it is needed? [/QUOTE]


Yes you can. Here's a link to "Windows Anytime Upgrade" to Pro.....

http://www.microsoft.com/windows/wi...87218:TBf-LAqoEEQAAG5OkLYAAYW6:20100615223108

 

[bassfisher6522]

Also as an added feature that is not mentioned in the windows compare editions is the ability of remote desktop connect feature. The same as in XP Pro and not in the XP Home version.

 

[catilley1092]

Except for one OS that was preinstalled on various computers that I've purchased, they've all been Pro versions, from Win 2K Pro, mostly XP Pro. The Pro versions typically have more features and security built in than it's Home counterparts. However, this was XP and below, things may have changed today.

My current desktop was shipped with 7 Home Premium, as are most, for some odd reason. I bought the Anytime Upgrade option in the Start Menu to Pro, and haven't regretted it a bit. The upgrade is painless (other than the nearly $100 that I paid), and none of your files are disturbed in the process. It is unfortunate that most of what you see on the shelves are Home Premium. If you were to go into a store that sells a lot of business computers, the scene would be quite different. Many upper end Dell, Lenovo & HP notebooks and desktops have 7 Pro installed on them. It would run as good on many of the lower end units, and they would sell, too. Although not in the same numbers, but some would sell.

But Mongo, you can upgrade anytime you want, that's no problem at all. Hopefully, you'll be settled down into your new OS soon.

Best of Luck,
Cat

 

[TrainableMan]

I guess my question is, what is the difference in price in getting this laptop w/ home premium vs pro because if you decide to go PRO later it is an extra $75-$90 for the anytime upgrade.

For my desktop I bought Professional for US$87 on eBay while it was still becoming popular - now it goes for about US$119. Today I just bought the Anytime Upgrade to Pro for US$75.26 on Amazon.com because my nephews computer came with Home Premium. So basically for US$20 more, instead of a code I got actual disks in 32 & 64 bit. Now to me the Virtual XP mode and the Group policy manager make Pro worth it. I have a lot of old games that 7 does not like and I have to run them in Virtual XP. There are free versions of Virtual PC you can run on Home Premium but then to install XP you have to have an XP license, this is included in PRO. I do not need bit locker harddrive encryption nor the ability to have my Windows in up to 26 different languages so I see no extra value in Ultimate.

So IMHO you should evaluate the features and compare the prices of the different levels of OS, then check the prices of anytime upgrades and buy best combination to get the version you want at the lowest price.

 

[Nibiru2012]

Regarding the Ultimate version of Windows 7, hardly anyone needs those features offered. I know a lot of uber geeks went that route because it said "ULTIMATE" as if it was the end all and be all of Windows 7. It isn't by any stretch.

I chose the Pro version because one of these day I may dabble in virtual XP mode just for grins. Besides I got it for a pretty decent price to boot.

Realistically speaking though over 80% of users out there will be just fine and happy with Home Premium.

 

[catilley1092]

I guess my question is, what is the difference in price in getting this laptop w/ home premium vs pro because if you decide to go PRO later it is an extra $75-$90 for the anytime upgrade.

For my desktop I bought Professional for US$87 on eBay while it was still becoming popular - now it goes for about US$119. Today I just bought the Anytime Upgrade to Pro for US$75.26 on Amazon.com because my nephews computer came with Home Premium. So basically for US$20 more, instead of a code I got actual disks in 32 & 64 bit. Now to me the Virtual XP mode and the Group policy manager make Pro worth it. I have a lot of old games that 7 does not like and I have to run them in Virtual XP. There are free versions of Virtual PC you can run on Home Premium but then to install XP you have to have an XP license, this is included in PRO. I do not need bit locker harddrive encryption nor the ability to have my Windows in up to 26 different languages so I see no extra value in Ultimate.

So IMHO you should evaluate the features and compare the prices of the different levels of OS, then check the prices of anytime upgrades and buy best combination to get the version you want at the lowest price.

TrainableMan, you do have the choice of having an file encryption with Pro, as to how to work it, I'm unsure of. But that's one of the six extra advantages with Pro.

 

[TrainableMan]

Thanks Cat, yes Pro allows for file encyption on a per file basis ...
http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows7/Encrypt-or-decrypt-a-folder-or-file

Bit Locker on the otherhand is one of only 2 additional features of the Ultimate edition and allows for the complete encryption of a drive ...
http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows7/products/features/bitlocker
Which would be good for laptops that may get lost or stolen or corporate harddrives containing company secrets, but is not something of huge value to me and I definately wouldn't pay extra for it.

 

[Veedaz]

I use Pro as I don't have a need for the Ultimate edition of Windows 7 ( I only speak one language and Truecrypt is free )

 

[Nibiru2012]

I use Pro as I don't have a need for the Ultimate edition of Windows 7 ( I only speak one language and Truecrypt is free )

Ditto on that! I do know enough Mexican Spanish to survive, but that's about it.

I have also heard that Truecypt is far better than Bit Locker too, from the reviews I have read.

Like I said before, the Ultimate version I believe is just another marketing gimmick on MS part.

However, the biggest price differential is between Home Premium and Professional.

For the Full Retail versions at Newegg.com this difference is: $89.00 US Dollars

The difference for the Full Retail Ultimate and Professional is: $16.00 US Dollars.

 

[Windows7Guy]

Hello there,

You should be good with Home Premium -more secure networking features with Windows 7
Professional.

To buy and to see prices:
http://www.microsoft.com/windows/buy/default.aspx

Thanks again,
John M.
Microsoft Windows Client Support

 

[Fire cat]

Strangely, I discovered that there is more to Ultimate, than you think. At least in Europe there is.

Though, in the states, pro has WMC. Pro in Europe doesn't... Weird!
This can be confusing on the forums... Anybody know why?

 

[TrainableMan]

Europe made a big stink about not packaging IE and Media Player; because other companies make products like this and they feel it's unfair blah blah blah. Thus the reason Microsoft offers Windows 7 N versions over there, the same but stripped of MS's extra products. Well Media Center requires Media Player, so if you have PRO N then it wouldn't but if you don't have W7N then it's probably there though maybe not installed by default.
Control panel\programs and features and click Turn Windows Features On & Off ... Down under Media Features you will find WMP and Media Center