Windows 7 Enterprise - questions

I'm on the second download of Enterprise, one for my laptop (32 bit), one for my desktop (64 bit). Has anyone had any installation issues with it? It would certainly be an upgrade for my laptop, my desktop has Pro already. It will be supported until year's end, although I'll have Ultimate long before then. The main thing I want to know, is it a decent OS, and has anyone had problems with this OS?

The real question is: Do you really need the extra few features of Ultimate/Enterprise?

They're basically the same edition; one for consumers, the other for business/corporate use.

From Paul Thurrott's Supersite For Windows:

As was the case with Windows Vista, Windows 7 Ultimate is the "uber" product edition, and the one that includes every single Windows 7 feature. Compared to Windows 7 Professional, however, there are only a few key functional differences that apply to individuals, making this a pretty uninteresting upgrade.

Windows 7 Ultimate provides support for the BitLocker and BitLocker To Go drive encryption technologies, the latter of which would arguably be quite useful to virtually anyone. But that's about it. The other features that are unique to Windows 7 Ultimate (and Enterprise) are really geared towards Microsoft's managed corporate customers. None are particularly interesting or relevant to individuals.

I recommend Windows 7 Ultimate only in those instances where the price is very compelling: I'm told that PC makers will periodically offer Windows 7 Ultimate at a steep discount, and in such a case it might make sense in order to get BitLocker To Go. If you can live without that however--perhaps by using a third party disk encryption tool, then you can safely ignore Windows 7 Ultimate. There's just not much to recommend it.

Go here to read more about what REALLY are the differences amongst the Windows 7 editions.
How to choose a product edition

The Bit Locker function makes Ultimate worth it. Plus, I'll soon have access to it anyway, so why not use the best? I'm currently using Enterprise on my laptop right now, but I'll probably wait until I get that membership to change my desktop. This system is a good one, it's good that I don't speak all of those languages. When I checked Windows Update and saw 50+ updates, I said, What the hell? Then I noticed all of those tounges. I'll probably run into the same with Ultimate. But I'm glad this version is free, looking at the Start Menu, it looks no better than Pro, no wonder they're giving it away for free until the end of the year. It really should cost no more than Pro does. And one other thing to keep in mind. If anyone is looking for an excuse NOT to upgrade to 7, if only until the end of the year, there's no more excuses. It's FREE until 12/31/2010

Enterprise is free to give network administrators time to test remote installation and mass deployment in a lab environment with that edition's VLK licensing.

They didn't give me a license, in fact, I didn't even have to enter a key for installation. It's been validated twice, once when installing MSE, once when downloading XP Mode. I've had no problem with it. It's a decent OS, too.

Will it 'time expire' at some point or will it continue to work as long as you've kept it installed.

It was originally a 90 day evaluation, then recently it was extended until 12/31/2010. That was a good thing for them to do, give an extension like that. But, it's a slick way to get the client "hooked" on 7, then whoever it is will most likely buy it, if there's any way they can. A great marketing strategy, indeed. However, at the end of the period, a new version will have to be purchased, and a "custom install" done. You simply can't buy a key, and keep running it.

True Crypt is very good (freeware) supports Windows 7 - 32 and 64-bit

Link > http://www.truecrypt.org/

and can be used as portable.

Of course not, as it's a trial.

However the real retail edition of Enterprise uses volume licensing, meaning corporations buy a single key that works for dozens (or hundreds, or thousands) of systems from a licensed broker.

Enterprise is being handed out as a trial so network administrators in an environment positioned to deploy Windows 7 across dozens, or hundreds or thousands of machines have time to freely evaluate deployment in a lab environment.

No company would ever drop thousands on a multi-user license if they weren't absolutely sure it would pan out, which is why Microsoft is giving away a timed trial of Enterprise for free. The cost concern is eliminated when evaluating the OS for purchase.

That's what I figured, well most of it. They get you "hooked" on using it, then they hope to make a sale. Sales was my profession prior to my disability. During my years as a sales manager, I gave away product for a limited amount of time, in order to get the customer to like it, and eventually sign a purchase contract. Nearly 100% of the time, it worked. The same principle, to a degree, applies with this "free" OS. In another month, I won't need it anyway, I just wanted to see what it was, and it's features. For me, not much difference over Pro.