Windows Vista editions

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Windows Vista—a major release of the Microsoft Windows operating system—was available in six different product editions: Starter, Home Basic, Home Premium, Business, Enterprise, and Ultimate.[1][2] On September 5, 2006, Microsoft announced the USD pricing for editions available through retail channels;[3] the operating system was later made available to retail on January 30, 2007.[4] Microsoft also made Windows Vista available for purchase and download from Windows Marketplace; it is the first version of Windows to be distributed through a digital distribution platform.[5] Editions sold at retail were available in both Full and Upgrade versions and later included Service Pack 1 (SP1).[6]

Microsoft characterized the retail packaging for Windows Vista as "designed to be user-friendly, a small, hard, plastic container designed to protect the software inside for life-long use";[7] it opens sideways to reveal the Windows Vista DVD suspended in a clear plastic case.[8][9] Windows Vista optical media use a holographic design with vibrant colors.[10]

With the exception of Windows Vista Starter, all editions support both IA-32 (32-bit) and x64 (64-bit) processor architectures.[11] Microsoft ceased distribution of retail copies of Windows Vista in October 2010; OEM distribution of Windows Vista ended in October 2011.[12]

  1. ^ Microsoft (February 26, 2006). "Microsoft Unveils Windows Vista Product Lineup". News Center. Retrieved May 26, 2015.
  2. ^ Fisher, Ken (February 27, 2006). "Microsoft unveils Windows Vista editions". Ars Technica. Condé Nast. Retrieved June 2, 2015.
  3. ^ Microsoft (September 5, 2006). "Industry Testing of Windows Vista Release Candidate 1 Begins". News Center. Retrieved May 26, 2015.
  4. ^ "Microsoft Launches Windows Vista and the 2007 Office System to Consumers". News Center. Microsoft. January 29, 2007. Retrieved April 3, 2018.
  5. ^ "Microsoft Unveils New Ways for Consumers to Get Windows Vista". News Center. Microsoft. January 17, 2007. Retrieved April 3, 2018.
  6. ^ Ward, Keith (August 29, 2007). "Windows Vista SP1 Due in Early 2008". Redmond Magazine. 1105 Media Inc. Retrieved May 30, 2015.
  7. ^ White, Nick (October 30, 2006). "Announcing New Packaging for Windows Vista and 2007 Office System". Windows Vista Team Blog. Microsoft. Archived from the original on November 10, 2006. Retrieved May 26, 2015.
  8. ^ Microsoft. "Opening the Windows Vista box". Windows How-to. Retrieved May 26, 2015.
  9. ^ Thurrott, Paul (October 31, 2006). "Windows Vista and Office 2007 Packaging Revealed". SuperSite for Windows. Penton. Retrieved May 30, 2015.
  10. ^ "How to Tell - Windows Vista Ultimate". Microsoft. 2008. Archived from the original on March 16, 2008. Retrieved October 23, 2019.
  11. ^ Thurrott, Paul (October 6, 2010). "Windows Vista Product Editions". SuperSite for Windows. Penton. Archived from the original on June 8, 2016. Retrieved May 30, 2015.
  12. ^ Newman, Jared (April 9, 2012). "Microsoft Ending Windows Vista Mainstream Support on Tuesday". PC World. IDG. Retrieved October 25, 2019.