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Windows 8 May Have Fewer SKUs Than Windows 7, Vista

By - Source: ZDNet

Instead of eleven SKUs as seen with Vista and six seen with Windows 7, the next version may only have three.

Documents made available on HP's web site -- which have since been modified -- revealed six Windows 8 "client" SKUs. The documents, discovered by ZDNet, were revision notes for the Alcor Micro Smart Card Reader Driver which listed the SKUs in the "operating system(s)" section. Currently it's unknown if the SKUs were merely document fillers, or the real deal, but it's assumed that HP would likely have the SKU information at this point.

According to the documents, the six versions will be as follows:

Microsoft Windows 8 32 Edition
Microsoft Windows 8 64 Edition
Microsoft Windows 8 Enterprise 32 Edition
Microsoft Windows 8 Enterprise 64 Edition
Microsoft Windows 8 Professional 32 Edition
Microsoft Windows 8 Professional 64 Edition

Additional snooping through Microsoft's website unearthed several documents that back up the listed SKUs. For the Windows 8 Beta SKUs, the name of the product will be used, meaning for Windows 8 Enterprise, the string "Windows 8 Enterprise" is used. The same scheme applies for the Windows Server 8 Beta SKUs: for Windows Server 8 Enterprise, the string "Windows Server 8 Enterprise" is used.

As reported earlier, Windows 8 will arrive in four versions: Windows 8 Server x64, Windows 8 Client ARM, Windows 8 Client x64, and Windows 8 Client x86. All Windows 8 systems targeted for client SKUs are required to support a graphics mode via UEFI GOP, Microsoft states. Windows on ARM will not be available for general consumption at retail -- it will only appear pre-installed on ARM-based devices.

Previously with Windows Vista, Microsoft shipped eleven different versions: Starter (32-bit only), Home Basic (32-bit, 64-bit), Home Premium (32-bit, 64-bit), Business (32-bit, 64-bit), Enterprise (32-bit, 64-bit) and Ultimate (32-bit, 64-bit). Windows 7, on the other hand, initially came with six different SKUs including Starter, Home Basic, Home Premium, Professional, Enterprise, and Ultimate. And while there are arguments that Microsoft should adopt a single-SKU approach for Windows releases, a choice of six is still by far a lot easier for the general consumer to figure out than eleven.

"It is early to start the dialogue about a preference for one SKU with Windows," Steven Sinofsky said back in September 2011. "We’re well aware of this feedback and we always need to balance it with the feedback from our business partners who value a different approach. We’ll cross that bridge when we come to it. Interestingly, the feedback about Media Center was predominantly “we will pay extra, just include it” based on the input directly to me. Today Media Center is part of 'premium' SKUs for Windows, which means that is the case today."

Windows 8 x86/x64 isn't slated to launch until later this year. Recent reports indicate that Microsoft is pushing to launch Windows on ARM in the same time-frame, but there are concerns that it may be pushed back and released after the x86/x64 versions.

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There are 54 Comments.
Top Comments
  • 24
    SteelCity1981 , February 28, 2012 3:55 PM
    they would even have less SKU's if they got rid of the 32bit Editions. I mean, there is really no point in 32bit Editions anymore. CPU's have been 64bit in the mainstream market for the last 7 years now since AMD's Socket 754 Athlon 64's and Intel's LGA775 Pentium 4 5x1 series. The vast majority of software supports 64bit now, It's time to move on. By continuing to support 32bit, all that days is continue to hold back 64bits full potential.
  • 20
    JOSHSKORN , February 28, 2012 4:43 PM
    And the point of a 32-bit OS nowadays is...?
  • 15
    apache_lives , February 28, 2012 5:48 PM
    if i remember correctly 32-bit came out late 80's early 90's - WHY YOU STILL HERE 32
  • 10
    apache_lives , February 28, 2012 6:21 PM
    JOSHSKORNAnd the point of a 32-bit OS nowadays is...?


    the rock i live under only supports 32bit?
  • 13
    Nakal , February 28, 2012 6:37 PM
    I'll give you an example why there is still 32bit. We use Avaya IP agent for our laptops as part of our Disaster Recovery plan, phone coverage, etc.. Well there is no 64bit version of that software and there will be none. And since we already own a license and they aren't willing to go out and buy a new license due to costs.

    That is just one of many pieces of software where I work that do not work on 64bit. Many enterprises and other companies still have software that only work on 32bit platforms, so it still behooves Microsoft to produce a 32bit version of the OS.
  • 13
    Ragnar-Kon , February 28, 2012 8:03 PM
    sporkimusThen offer the Enterprise and Professional in 64-bit only, because honestly no one will want those versions in a 32-bit.

    Not true, many Enterprise users will want 32-bit copies.

    I understand why everyone is crying out to end 32-bit versions of Windows, but it would be a bad idea for Microsoft. I can think of 4-5 pieces of software at work that ONLY run on 32-bit Windows and will not run on 64-bit. Honestly all of that older 32-bit software we have is still on Windows XP machines until we have the money to buy new hardware, but the newer versions that do support Windows 7 only run on 32-bit Win 7.

    If you remove any 32-bit version of Windows, remove the Win 8 Professional version. But then you are only removing one version, so might as well have 32 & 64 on every version. I can see 32-bit versions of Windows disappearing in the not so distant future, but Windows 8 is not the right time to do it.

    beardguyMicrosoft has never understood the principle of keeping things simple. There should be 2 versions of Windows 8, max. Consumers don't want to sit and try and figure out what version of Windows to buy.

    I actually agree with this, though I don't see Microsoft simplifying it that much. But they should just remove the Professional version and stick with standard & Enterprise. Make Enterprise only available with volume licensing, and bam, the normal consumer is left with only one choice: to get 32-bit or 64-bit.
Other Comments
  • 24
    SteelCity1981 , February 28, 2012 3:55 PM
    they would even have less SKU's if they got rid of the 32bit Editions. I mean, there is really no point in 32bit Editions anymore. CPU's have been 64bit in the mainstream market for the last 7 years now since AMD's Socket 754 Athlon 64's and Intel's LGA775 Pentium 4 5x1 series. The vast majority of software supports 64bit now, It's time to move on. By continuing to support 32bit, all that days is continue to hold back 64bits full potential.
  • 20
    JOSHSKORN , February 28, 2012 4:43 PM
    And the point of a 32-bit OS nowadays is...?
  • 15
    apache_lives , February 28, 2012 5:48 PM
    if i remember correctly 32-bit came out late 80's early 90's - WHY YOU STILL HERE 32
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