Differences Between Windows 8 Editions

Windows 8 comes in three editions for PC:

• Windows 8: also known as "core" edition, is the basic edition of Windows 8 and is targeted for the home users;
• Windows 8 Pro: is aimed for the enthusiasts and business users. Also, this is the only edition of Windows 8 on which Windows Media Center feature can be installed.
• Windows 8 Enterprise: is targeted for the IT organizations. This edition is available only for the Software Assurance customers and MSDN or Technet Professional subscribers.

Below are listed the limitations between those three editions. Each edition will be compared with the edition listed above of it, excepting the Windows 8 Enterprise, of course. Only the upgradeability limitation from Windows 7 is listed for the Windows 8 Enterprise edition, since this one includes all of the features of Windows 8 and Windows 8 Pro editions). So, the Windows 8 will be compared with Windows 8 Pro, and Windows 8 Pro with Windows 8 Enterprise.

Windows 8 Enterprise:

• Can't be upgraded from Windows 7: Starter, Home Basic, Home Premium and Ultimate.

Windows 8 Pro:

• Doesn't include AppLocker, Windows To Go, Direct Access, Services for Network File System or BranchCache features;
• Can't be virtualized by Remote FX;
• Can't be upgraded from Windows 7 Enterprise.

Windows 8:

• The RAM memory is limited to the maximum of 128 GB;
• Doesn't include Remote Desktop host;
• Doesn't support Hyper-V, BitLocker, EFS or group policies features;
• Can't boot from VHD disk images or join Windows domains;
• Can't be upgraded from Windows 7: Professional, Ultimate and Enterprise.