Zoron :
People really need to start paying attention to what they're buying before they buy it. Home editions of Windows since XP have NOT been able to join a domain. They're not going to suddenly change their minds now just because you find it to be an inconvenience.
As for domain profiles... check your server configuration. Depending on what version you're running (2000, 2003, 2008), there might be some extra configuring to do. Things have change a lot since XP.
Although I agree that you need to check what you buy before you buy it, I disagree with the attitude against the customers. Microsoft has not exactly been customer oriented in how they handle it. First a lot of people are purchasing their systems with a PRE-INSTALLED OS, Microsoft promotes the internet and LAN access for all of their editions but avoid the out-right statement that DOMAIN connections and thus ROAMING PROFILES are not available on most of the PRE-LOADED systems. The expectation that the average computer user is going to be able to discern what is marketed and listed on the various OS editions is also reaching, since one of the marketing aspects of Windows is that you can do more without having to become a geek.
I have major concerns because I help as a volunteer to support an IT environment that relies heavily on donations, as such the equipment is ASIS in technology level and what software comes with it. There is no real budget to upgrade the software or hardware, so as much as one may want to insult individuals for not having selected the proper edition of an OS, it is often the case that they had no say in the process.
This would be even less of an issue, if it were not for MICROSOFT using this to increase sales, since a system is purchased with an OS installed that is part of its price, then most business entities have to pay for an additonal license when they reimage the system with the OS that meets their environemental needs. I also disagree with the need to pay for an upgrade with features that will never be used, just to provide the ability to connect to a domain and use roaming profiles. When everything one needs in Windows 7 Startup except the DOMAIN capability, why add the overhead of the other editions just to get a common feature. Maybe it should be an additional option on its own that can be upgraded to without an entire editions features being forced upon the consumer.
Give the non-techies a break and help them out of a situation that is unrealistic for them to have discerned, and think about the myriad of individuals that are stuck with what they are handed.
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