Vista, What Vista?

Can’t decide which edition of Windows Vista to purchase? Before jumping into a decision, check out Microsoft’s side-by-side comparisons here. In general, Home Basic offers the least functionality and doesn’t include the new Aero interface, Media Center or Movie Maker. So, if you like the idea of an impressive, new user interface and you plan to do things like edit home movies or play the latest games, you’ll need the Home Premium edition. (Other than lower cost and less stringent hardware requirements, there’s really no good reason to choose Basic.)

If you own a small business, you’ll want the Business edition features, such as remote-access capability and the Complete PC Backup and Restore utility. And if you want it all—both business-related and digital entertainment capabilities, choose the Ultimate edition.

If you can’t decide, take some time to think about how you’re going to use your Windows Vista PC. If it helps, write what you do on your system now or what you wish you could do. Then, compare this list to the features in each edition. Most likely, you’ll come up with a clear winner.

DID YOU KNOW? Windows runs on more than 90% of the world’s computers and Microsoft makes about 75 cents in profit for every dollar in Windows sales.