Microsoft Announces Windows 8 Editions

Microsoft this week has announced four editions of Windows 8 that we can expect to see at launch. These include the standard “Windows 8”, “Windows 8 Pro”, “Windows 8 Enterprise” and “Windows 8 RT” – the latter of which is designed to be pre-installed, and only on ARM devices. There’s no mention of Windows 8 Starter, but if this launch will match Vista’s and 7’s, it’ll become available soon after launch (but not for off-the-shelf consumption).

For most, the standard Windows 8 will suffice, as Pro offers more professional-level tools such as BitLocker, Hyper-V, EFS, client+host Remote Desktop and also Group Policy support. What will the Pro version cost over the standard? Not surprisingly, that’s information Microsoft chooses to keep quiet until we near the launch.

Of all the editions, it’s RT that’s the most interesting. It’s not going to be available for consumer purchase, but rather will be pre-installed on ARM devices. It’ll offer most of what the standard edition does, but lack Windows Media Player, Exchange ActiveSync and Storage Spaces. What it will offer over the other editions is a pre-installed Microsoft Office – tweaked for touch devices.

For the regular consumer, choosing an edition of Windows should be easier than ever. Unless you have a specific need for things like BitLocker or Hyper-V, you’re going to get by just fine with the standard edition. It’s worth noting also that we lose the “Ultimate” edition with Windows 8, which is probably for the better.