Why more people use Windows 7? Quantities of versions tell

=========Microsoft Windows 7=========

Usually from the ADs by Microsoft, you will be able to see only 3 versions of Windows 7. However, there are way more than that. I tried to count how many versions of Windows 7 in Canada, but eventually, I can’t even get the full list. Here is what I’ve found.

• GFC-00564     Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium Edition 32BIT DVD
• GFC-00567     Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium Edition 32BIT French DVD OEM
• GFC-00599     Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium Edition 64BIT DVD OEM
• GFC-00602     Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium Edition 64BIT French DVD OEM
• GFC-00025     Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium Edition Retail
• GFC-00111    Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium Edition Retail French
• GFC-00112     Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium Edition Retail French Upgrade
• GFC-00026     Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium Edition Retail Upgrade
• GFC-00237     Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium Upgrade Family Pack French Retail (Up to 3 PC’S)
• GFC-00235     Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium Upgrade Family Pack Retail (Up to 3 PC’S)
• FQC-00730     Microsoft Windows 7 Professional Edition 32BIT DVD OEM
• FQC-00733     Microsoft Windows 7 Professional Edition 32BIT French DVD OEM
• FQC-00765     Microsoft Windows 7 Professional Edition 64BIT DVD
• FQC-00768     Microsoft Windows 7 Professional Edition 64BIT French DVD OEM
• FQC-00133     Microsoft Windows 7 Professional Edition Retail
• FQC-00201     Microsoft Windows 7 Professional Edition Retail French
• FQC-00202     Microsoft Windows 7 Professional Edition Retail French Upgrade
• FQC-00134     Microsoft Windows 7 Professional Edition Retail Upgrade
• 7KC-00040    Windows Anytime Upgrade: Windows 7 Home Premium to Professional
• GLC-00701     Microsoft Windows 7 Ultimate Edition 32BIT DVD OEM
• GLC-00704     Microsoft Windows 7 Ultimate Edition 32BIT French DVD OEM
• GLC-00736     Microsoft Windows 7 Ultimate Edition 64BIT DVD OEM
• GLC-00739     Microsoft Windows 7 Ultimate Edition 64BIT French DVD OEM
• GLC-00181     Microsoft Windows 7 Ultimate Edition Retail
• GLC-00199     Microsoft Windows 7 Ultimate Edition Retail French
• GLC-00200     Microsoft Windows 7 Ultimate Edition Retail French Upgrade
• GLC-00183     Microsoft Windows 7 Ultimate Edition Retail Upgrade
• GLC-00894     Microsoft – OEM OEM Windows 7 Ult 3PK En 64BIT Wins 7 Ultimate
• 39C-00040    Windows Anytime Upgrade: Windows 7 Home Premium to Ultimate
• 4WC-00040    Windows Anytime Upgrade: Windows 7 Starter to Home Premium
• N/A        Windows Anytime Upgrade: Windows 7 Starter to Home Premium French

Total:31+

You might think, what? A Home Starter? I don’t even know, yes, they do exist; For Windows 7 Home Starter, it’s installed to NetBooks only and you can’t buy the retial or OEM version, but you can get the upgrade disc from starter to Premium/Professional/Ultimate. Here is the list of versions and their “special” features.

• Windows 7 Starter (limited to three apps concurrently)
• Windows 7 Home Basic (for emerging markets)
• Windows 7 Home Premium (adds Aero, Touch, Media Center)
• Windows 7 Professional (Remote Desktop host, Mobility Center, Presentation mode)
• Windows 7 Enterprise (volume license only, boot from virtual drive, BitLocker)
• Windows 7 Ultimate (limited availability, includes everything)

While I am doing this list, I found out there is a general rule.For Premium, Professional and Ultimate, you can get Retail, OEM, Upgrade version, that’s 3 X3 =9, each one has English and French version, so 9X2=18, each version has 32bit and 64 bit, 18 X2= 36.

36? It’s more than what I have counted, yes, but some of them are bundle in one package. And 36 is not including Starter, Basic, Enterprise and Family pack. If you would like to ask me how many other versions, well, I don’t know, but they have at least 50 versions of them, JUST in Canada.

=========Apple Snow Leopard=========

Now, let’s take a look at how many versions Apple has for Snow Leopard

• Apple Snow Leopard Single User
• Apple Snow Leopard Family Pack

Even tho the Family Pack is actually the same version as the Single User, just the license is different, I will put them up as two different version. No matter you are using Macbook or iMac or Mac Pro, as long as you are using Intel Core 2 Duo model, you can install the same version of Snow Leopard. It has multi-language built in and it supports both 32bit and 64bit.

Yeah, Microsoft wins out. Really? Based on my personal experience, the more versions of a product has, the more confusion the customers will have. Customers have to read the detail of the OS and make sure they are not getting what they don’t need or they miss the features they want from the new OS. Obviously Apple is doing much better in simplify the process in choosing OS.

Note:

It’s not true to compare the versions of OS and the usage percentage, but it should really bring an attention to Microsoft that they should simplify their product if they would like to get back their empire of operating system that’s shrinking day by day.