Windows 7

With the recent release of Microsoft Windows 7, we thought it necessary to provide you with some information regarding the editions and their features.

Page Contents

The Editions & Their Features
Which Windows 7 is right for you?
Hardware Requirements & Windows Upgrade Advisor
Exciting Features

The Editions & Their Features Use this table to compare the features of the 3 recommended versions of Windows 7.	Windows 7 Home Premium	Windows 7 Professional	Windows 7 Ultimate
Make the things you do every day easier with improved desktop navigation.
Start programs faster and more easily, and quickly find the documents you use most often.
Make your web experience faster, easier and safer than ever with Internet Explorer 8.
Watch, pause, rewind, and record TV on your PC.
Easily create a home network and connect your PCs to a printer with HomeGroup.
Run many Windows XP productivity programs in Windows XP Mode.
Connect to company networks easily and more securely with Domain Join.
In addition to full-system Backup and Restore found in all editions, you can back up to a home or business network.
Help protect data on your PC and portable storage devices against loss or theft with BitLocker.
Work in the language of your choice and switch between any of 35 languages.

Which Windows 7 is right for you?

Do you use your PC for entertainment?

Choose Windows 7 Home Premium. The best entertainment experience on your PC.

Do you work from home?

Choose Windows 7 Professional over Home Premium. Everything you need for work and home.

Do you want it all?

Choose Windows 7 Ultimate over Professional. Designed for people who want it all.

Hardware Requirements & Windows Upgrade Advisor

If your computer is Windows Vista compatible, then it will automatically be Windows 7 compatible.

Hardware Requirements

• 1 gigahertz (GHz) or faster 32-bit (x86) or 64-bit (x64) processor
• 1 gigabyte (GB) RAM (32-bit) or 2 GB RAM (64-bit)
• 16 GB available hard disk space (32-bit) or 20 GB (64-bit)
• DirectX 9 graphics device with WDDM 1.0 or higher driver for Windows Aero

Additional Requirements

• Internet access (fees may apply)
• Depending on resolution, video playback may require additional memory and advanced graphics hardware
• For some Windows Media Center functionality a TV tuner and additional hardware may be required
• Windows Touch and Tablet PCs require specific hardware
• HomeGroup requires a network and PCs running Windows 7
• DVD/CD authoring requires a compatible optical drive
• BitLocker requires Trusted Platform Module (TPM) 1.2
• BitLocker To Go requires a USB flash drive
• Windows XP Mode requires an additional 1 GB of RAM, an additional 15 GB of available hard disk space, and a processor capable of hardware virtualization with Intel VT or AMD-V turned on
• Music and sound require audio output

Windows 7 Upgrade Advisor

To see if your PC is ready for Windows 7, download the free Windows 7 Upgrade Advisor. It scans your PC for potential issues with your hardware, devices, and installed programs, and recommends what to do before you upgrade.

Exciting Features

Once you're up and running with Windows 7, try out some of these exciting features.

• Aero
  Aero is a set of visual effects that make your desktop more beautiful while making it easier to look through the windows you have open to find what you want.
• Gadgets
  Keep an eye on the weather, news, and traffic. Run an endless slideshow of your favorite photos. All with these simple desktop programs.
• Live Taskbar Previews
  Manage lots of open programs, documents, and browser windows easily with thumbnail and full-screen previews of open windows.
• Peak
  Look right through open windows to see the icons, gadgets, and anything else on your desktop, all with a simple move of your cursor.
• Shake
  Want to focus on one window? Shake it, and all the other open windows on your desktop will be hidden. Shake again, and they're all back.
• Snap
  Size and arrange windows by simply dragging their borders to the edges of your screen. Instantly expand to full screen and back, or arrange two windows side by side.
• Snipping Tool
  Recipes, news stories, book reviews—you name it. Sometimes the easiest way to save a copy of something is to simply take a snapshot of your screen.
• Windows Media Center
  Record TV. Watch Internet TV. Watch DVDs. Enjoy online entertainment. Play your music and watch your videos and slideshows. It's all here.

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