Last month we gathered from Microsoft's Windows 7 comparison page that only the Professional and Ultimate editions had backup and restore functions.
It turns out that there was some confusion in the wording and Microsoft informed us that it has revised its website to convey that all version of Windows 7 will have backup and restore features. It is only the Professional and Ultimate editions that will be able to backup over a network.
The new comparison chart is revised to give the following feature to Professional and Ultimate: "In addition to full-system Backup and Restore found in all editions, you can back up to a home or business network."
Also, the following passage was added to the Backup and Restore page:
"You can back up to another drive or a DVD. And if you're using the Professional or Ultimate editions of Windows 7, you'll also have the option of backing up your files to a network."
So there you have it, folks – all versions of Windows 7 will have backup and restore, but the upper tier SKUs will be able to do it with a bit more convenience for advanced users.