Windows 10 Enterprise or Professional. Windows Trial versions. What you should know when installing an operating system

Microsoft has said that Windows 10 is the final version of Windows, but no one ever said it would be easy. After two years of existence, Windows 10 has no less than ten different editions. Each is essentially the same thing, but offers slightly different features for users with different needs. Along with constantly changing features, this can keep track of what's happening with Windows 10. Let's look at each version of Windows 10 in turn and see why Microsoft has created such a fragmented environment.

Comparison of Windows 10 versions

Brief description of publications

• Windows 10 Home is a standard offering and includes everything home users need.
• Windows 10 Pro builds on Home and includes additional features for power users and small business use.
• Windows 10S is a stripped-down Chromebook competitor that lets you install Windows Store apps.
• Windows 10 Enterprise has advanced features for large-scale enterprise deployments.
• Windows 10 Education is an offshoot of Enterprise with education-specific default settings and a lower price for schools.
• Windows 10 Pro Education comes pre-installed on PCs that schools can purchase at a discount and offers a learning-specific Pro flavor.
• Windows 10 Mobile is a Microsoft mobile operating system that is not very popular.
• Windows 10 Mobile Enterprise allows businesses to manage Windows 10 mobile devices for their employees.
• Windows 10 IoT replaces Windows Embedded, a lightweight version of Windows that hobbyists or businesses can install on small computing devices, as well as robots and sales applications.
• Windows 10 Team is a specialized version of Windows 10 that only runs on the Surface Hub smart board.
• for workstations supports powerful PCs that regularly perform intensive computing

Windows 10 Home

We start with the basic version. If you're going to walk into a store and buy a new laptop off the shelf, it's almost certainly going to be Windows 10 Home. True to its name, it includes the full experience of Windows 10 features that the average home user will enjoy. You'll find all the major products inside, including Cortana, Store apps, Xbox, and support for tablet and touch features. The Home Edition leaves out some of the business-oriented features that are the only other edition in the PRO, but you can buy them separately.

Windows 10 Pro

Windows 10 Pro builds on what Home offers, but includes more features aimed at power users and businesses. The most notable differences are the ability to join a Pro machine for a domain, support for BitLocker encryption, and Group Policy support for easily changing company-wide settings. Most machines in business use the Pro version, so IT professionals can use these tools to their advantage. But enthusiasts can also benefit from what the Pro has to offer.

For example, many of the settings we discuss in the articles are easier to change using the Group Policy Editor than in the Registry. However, I don't think this is suitable for most home users. You can replace free alternatives for some Pro-only features. For example, TeamViewer can replace Remote Desktop, and you can trade VeraCrypt for BitLocker. And no normal Windows user at home should join their computer to a domain.

Windows 10S

One of the newest releases in the lineup, Windows 10 S is a smoothed-out version of the operating system. Its most distinctive feature is that you can only install apps from the Windows Store, so it won't work with any traditional desktop software. Microsoft Edge is the default browser and you cannot change the default search engine from Bing.

Windows 10 S is only available on pre-installed devices, and most of them are inexpensive. Microsoft is targeting Windows 10 S at the education market as it is something of a competitor to Chromebooks. While you can upgrade Windows 10 S to Pro for dollars, most home users should stay away from it. The combination of cheap hardware and limited available apps limits what your device can do.

Windows 10 Enterprise

Windows 10 Enterprise, unsurprisingly, is intended for large-scale business use and is only sold through Microsoft Volume Licensing. Unlike Windows 7, there is no full version of Windows 10 that offers the full set of Enterprise features for home users. But that's okay, because Enterprise's additional capabilities only shine in enterprise deployments. The biggest feature is DirectAccess, which allows remote workers to access their company's internal network through a connection similar to a VPN, but provides greater security. AppLocker, another great feature, allows administrators to block access to specific applications. This edition also allows companies to switch to a long-term branch to avoid regular Windows 10 changes that could break their operations. Enterprise also contains some behind-the-scenes tweaks that make it easier for IT pros to install or migrate Windows on a mass standardization basis. While Pro is great for small businesses, a company with thousands of employees can save money and control their setup with the Enterprise edition.

Windows 10 Education

The Windows 10 Education Edition includes all Enterprise features. As Microsoft explains, this is actually a variant of Windows 10 Enterprise that provides education-specific default settings. In past versions this included disabling Cortana by default, but it is present in current builds. Windows 10 Education also disables tips and offers that are only advertisements.

Apart from these default settings, the only significant change for the Education edition is that it costs significantly less than the Enterprise edition. This helps schools keep costs down while still getting a powerful version of Windows that allows them to block games and inappropriate content on the computers students use. Although your computer must be running Windows 10 Pro to upgrade to Enterprise, this does not apply to the Education edition. PCs running Windows 10 Home can upgrade to Windows 10 Education, further reducing costs for schools.

Windows 10 Pro Education

Are all these names confusing? Windows 10 Pro Education combines two existing titles. Everything is the same as in Windows 10 Education, the only difference is the taste of Windows 10 Pro with several default settings typical for educational environments. The biggest difference between Pro Education and Education is that the former comes pre-installed on new devices purchased through the K-12 program at a discount. This means schools do not need to go through Microsoft Volume Licensing to purchase pre-built PCs. Smaller schools that lack a full IT staff or don't need the enterprise features of Windows 10 Education can still maintain control using the features found in Windows 10 Pro Education.

Both editions of Windows 10 Education include the Set Up School PCs app, which guides administrators by creating a standard Windows image. They can choose options such as uninstalling browser apps, automatically connecting computers to the school domain, and configuring Windows Update to avoid restarts during school hours. After completing this process once, IT staff can place the package on a flash drive and quickly apply it to other machines.

Windows 10 Mobile

Did you know that Windows Phone is still around? It's currently called Windows 10 Mobile, but it's the next iteration of the launch version of Windows for your smartphone. This is part of Microsoft's plan to create a single, unified operating system on every device. It lets you access the same new Windows Store apps that are available on the Windows 10 desktop, along with the Continuum feature that lets you use your phone like a PC on the big screen.

While it's an improvement over Phone 8.1, Windows Mobile is still largely irrelevant in the mobile space as Android and iOS reign supreme. Thanks to a botched rollout and continued lack of reliable apps, Windows 10 Mobile has suffered from limited usage. But I still use the budget lumia 640 and I’m quite happy with it than the virus-ridden android.

Windows 10 Mobile Enterprise

The enterprise version of Windows 10 Mobile Enterprise is almost the same as the consumer version. As you'd expect, it offers business features like deferring and managing updates, telemetry control, and more powerful deployments.

Windows 10 IoT (Internet of Things)

For previous versions of Windows, Microsoft provided a shortened version called Windows Embedded. For example, Windows XP Embedded was and is still extremely popular for lightweight devices such as ATMs, cash registers and watches. Embedded editions of Windows contain only the essential components, reducing the footprint on the machine while still allowing the device to take advantage of the benefits of Windows. Now the successor to Windows Embedded is known as Windows IoT.

IoT is connected by internet connections to everyday household objects. For example, it is popular among smart things like the Alexa speaker from Amazon and this version of Windows serves to allow hobbyists and enterprise users to use it. Windows 10 IoT can run on popular small devices that don't have powerful resources.

Microsoft offers two options: Windows 10 IoT Core and Windows 10 IoT Enterprise. Core is free to download and you can install it on devices like the Raspberry Pi. Enterprise Flavor is equivalent to Windows 10 Enterprise and therefore more powerful. Enterprises can install it on industrial robots, cash registers and other IoT devices.

Windows 10 Team

The Microsoft Surface family includes an interactive whiteboard known as the Surface Hub. Like other smart cards, it is designed for business use so employees can collaborate and video conference between locations. This device runs a special version called Windows 10 Team. It is based on Enterprise but offers a few differences as it is specifically designed for the giant board. The user interface is optimized for mega touch screen. Any user can come up and log into a low-level user account without logging in. When your session ends, the system deletes your local files unless you save them to OneDrive. And like Windows 10 S, you can't install traditional desktop apps. Team is a specialized version because it only applies to one device. You'll probably never run into this.

Windows 10 Pro for Workstations

Because 11 editions weren't enough, Microsoft recently announced another version of Windows 10. This product is called Pro for Workstations, and it's designed for high-end PCs that require heavy workloads. New features include Resilient File System (ReFS), persistent memory, faster file sharing and enhanced hardware support. Essentially, this results in a host of internal improvements that make the daily grind of computing information throughout the day smoother. Microsoft explains that these changes will result in less data corruption, faster network transfers, and up to 6TB of RAM usage. Windows 10 Pro for workstations will launch with the Fall Creators Update in fall 2017. This edition will likely only see business use.

Each version of Windows exists in several editions (releases). The older versions produced in the 90s had significantly fewer of them. The evolution of the operating system, Microsoft's adaptation to the modern market, as well as other circumstances have led to the emergence of new varieties of Windows. The latest version 10 is the leader in terms of their number. There are a huge number of its distributions - both functional editions and assemblies that record one or another state of the system. Let's try to understand them below.

What types of Windows 10 are there?

Before starting a review of Tens distribution kits specifically, I suggest first looking at the original structure of the Windows varieties. This way we will understand the enormity of the scope of Microsoft’s main product.

Windows families

The main criterion for dividing Windows is families. The main families are:

• Windows NT is a line of desktop systems (for PCs, laptops and tablets) and a line of server systems, starting with Windows NT 3.1 and ending with Windows 10 (and, accordingly, its server counterpart Windows Server 2016). Desktop NTs are the ones that are used everywhere;
• Windows Embedded – a type of system for terminals, ATMs, other machines and various equipment;
• Windows 10 IoT is an operating system for production devices that has replaced Embedded, but with a large list of support for them. Among such devices are Smart Home automation systems;
• Windows Mobile, also known as Windows Phone in an earlier release, is a platform for mobile devices.

Each family can have its own lines (as is the case with NT), its own versions, its own editions, its own sub-editions, etc. The “Ten” has even more divisions. If we download its installation ISO image not using the official utility from, but, for example, using the program, we will see a lot of possible distributions in the selection list.

In the case of “Ten,” we have not only a stable branch of the operating system, but also a branch within the framework of the project - a program for testing operating system innovations. Plus, since Microsoft has stated that at least in the near future there will be no new versions of the system, and the company is going to work on improving “Ten” in parallel with its use by the masses, as a result of this work, today we have a lot of builds and versions of version 10 itself We will return to all these varieties later, but for now let’s look at what editions of the system exist.

Windows 10 editions

Editions are the fourth generation of the Windows NT division. There are two lines in the family, the lines have their own versions, and each version has its own editions. Editions are provided primarily for the convenience of Microsoft itself, so it is more profitable for it to sell licensed copies of the operating system. The basis of trading is the Pro edition, from which it already dances in one direction or another. By cutting some functionality, the company reduces the license fee for using the operating system, thus making it affordable to a larger number of people. And by offering additional opportunities in editions for certain market segments, the company manages to sell the same thing, but according to the principle “For the poor, the price is a ruble, for the rich, two.”

In terms of cutting opportunities, by the way, the company must be given its due. Unlike processor manufacturers who push models for low-end laptops onto the market, knowing that such processors are unsuitable for use in modern conditions, Microsoft knows its limits and does not go too far. The basic Home edition of any version of Windows is capable of fully satisfying the needs of the average person.

So, what editions of Windows 10 are there?

Home (Home) - a basic set of “Ten” features with reduced features of the Pro edition, such as: group policy, BitLocker, Hyper-V, remote connection tools, connection to Azure AD, etc. Home is also limited in its ability to defer system updates for a certain period of time, as can be done in the editions above. This is a budget option for legitimate use of the system, but not the cheapest.

Home Single Language

The Home derivative, Home Single Language, is limited to using Windows within one system language only. She has the cheapest license key.

Pro (Professional) – edition with an optimal selection of functionality for advanced users.

Pro for Workstations(Professional for workstations) - an advanced sub-edition for powerful computers, in particular for server equipment. It appeared quite recently, along with the autumn major update. Its key feature is improved reliability of data storage, in particular, work with the file system.

Enterprise

Enterprise (Corporate) – edition for organizations, which provides enhanced security technologies and functionality intended for professional systems engineers on top of Pro capabilities. “Corporate” has a functionally reduced and long-delayed delivery of updates for enterprises and services that need a stable environment for the functioning of their equipment. Microsoft does not sell Enterprise to ordinary users, only to legal entities on a subscription basis. The company states that the purchase of this edition by individuals is impossible in principle, but you can buy a license for Enterprise on the Internet quite often. And, naturally, not all points of sale of digital keys will require us to confirm our involvement in the business sector.

Education

Education is essentially the same Enterprise edition, only with the missing Cortana and the impossibility of switching to LTSB. The main difference between Education is its focus on the market of educational institutions and, therefore, distribution at a price several times lower than Enterprise. The edition can be purchased by universities, vocational schools, libraries, museums, charitable organizations, teaching staff of educational institutions and students themselves, if they are not part-time students. As a condition of purchasing the edition, Microsoft has the right to require documentary evidence of the appropriate status of the buyer.

Windows N is not a separate edition, not even a sub-edition, it is a variation of Home and Pro without Windows Media Player and some other components. Microsoft was forced to create a stripped-down assembly in 2004 in accordance with the requirement of the European Commission, which began to protect the interests of third-party European developers who released their multimedia products.

Windows KN also appeared forcibly. A couple of years after the European precedent, the South Korean Trade Commission made a decision against Microsoft, satisfying the claim of the developer Daum Communications and obliging the software giant to release on the South Korean market an assembly of the operating system without a standard player and Instant Messenger (a messenger on board Windows XP).

Windows 10 N and KN builds do not come pre-installed with Windows Media Player, Groove Music, Movies & TV, Voice Recorder, or Skype. Also, system synchronization functions, webcam, Cortana, opening PDF files in Microsoft Edge and other things do not work. Windows 10 N and KN are intended for Europe and South Korea, respectively, the territorial jurisdictions of the authorities that ruled against Microsoft. And since the existence of these assemblies is forced, naturally, the company does not disseminate information about them unnecessarily.

Builds and versions of Windows 10

If we open the properties of “Tens”, in the characteristics column we will see a mark about its version and assembly.

The build number reflects information about a specific set of Windows 10 functionality and changes frequently as updates are introduced into the stable branch after they have been “run in” as part of the Windows Insider program. Version numbers of “Ten” change less frequently; their change is timed to coincide with a series of updates. Version numbers are not sequential; they contain information about the date and month of release. In addition to numbers, versions have names - technical (for Microsoft developers and insiders) and marketing (simple concepts for ordinary users). There are several versions of Windows 10:

• 1507, Threshold 1, abbreviated TH1 – the first cumulative update of the “Ten”, released in July 2015;
• 1511, Threshold 2, abbreviated TH2, simply put, November Update - the second cumulative update, released in November 2015;
• 1607, Redstone 1, abbreviated as RS1, simply called Anniversary Update - the third cumulative update, released in July 2016.
• 1703, Redstone 2, abbreviated as RS2, simply called Creators Update - the fourth cumulative update, released in March 2017;
• 1709, Redstone 3, abbreviated RS3, simply called Fall Creators Update - the fifth cumulative update, released in October 2017;
• 1803, Redstone 4, abbreviated RS4 – a cumulative update scheduled, as we can see from the number, for March next year, which is currently under development. Some of the upcoming functional improvements to the system can already be tested as part of the Windows Insider program.

That's how many tentacles the giant octopus called Windows 10 has.

Today, the version of Windows 10 has already become a favorite among many users. Some people comfortably use the professional version of this software, others “use” the home version and remain quite satisfied with this state of affairs. However, those who decide to install this operating system for the first time are scratching their heads over the question of whether Windows 10 Enterprise or Professional is better?

How many versions are there in total?

Today, users have a choice of only seven versions of this OS:

• professional;
• audit;
• mobile;
• home;
• corporate;
• server;
• mobile-corporate.

But which build of Windows 10 is the best? Each of these versions is ideal for certain categories of users. If you make the right choice, you can use the new product from Windows with complete comfort.

Description of editions

Home

Today it is the most popular version of Windows 10 around the world. It comes with the Edge browser, as well as a biometric system that identifies users of the system. For security, this version does not require passwords; it recognizes the user by face and fingerprints. The computer running the Home version can run Xbox games.

Pro

This version is ideal for cases where the computer supports business applications. The developers claim that Windows 10 Pro is designed specifically for small organizations.

Supports Hyper-V virtualization, as well as the ability to encrypt the disk. You can use Windows Update for Business to update your software.

Enterprise

This version is actively used by the largest corporations and companies, as it works with support for complex functions such as:

1. Direct Access – the ability to remotely access without using a VPN.
2. BranchCache is an option that makes the update and download process much easier and faster.
3. Credential Guard and Device Guard are applications that increase your computer's security significantly.

Education

The Windows 10 version, as the name suggests, was created specifically for educational institutions and students in particular. Much like the Enterprise version, but without support for some specific features.

Mobile

This OS is applicable for Microsoft smartphones. Also, users of some Lumia with Windows 8.1 can. Mobile for business supports some business segment functions and has more fine-grained settings for updates and security policies.

Differences in editions

If you want Windows 10 to reach its full potential at home, then give preference to the Pro version. It is replete with all kinds of devices and professional applications, knowledge of which will help you use the system with maximum comfort.

Before you think about which Windows 10 is best to install, analyze for what purposes you will need it.

Released in several versions. Pro and Home versions immediately became available to users, the rest are intended for corporate use (Enterprise) and educational institutions (Education).

As for the appearance, it is the same for all editions: the Start menu has returned, which combines elements of both versions 7 and 8 of the OS. The design has become more stylish compared to Windows 7. The virtual assistant Cortana has also appeared.

Windows 10 Home and Pro update is available for regular users and many people have questions about it. Which system should you choose to install on your computer?

Windows 10 Home

Not every user can notice the differences between different assemblies. The Home version is standard and suitable for home use. This is what is planned to be installed on most commercially available devices.

What's new in Windows 10 Home:

• Windows Hello is a new way to authenticate. Includes the ability to unlock your computer using your fingerprint, iris or face. According to the developers, it is planned that the new function will reliably protect user data.
• Hiberboot and InstaGo. These features ensure quick recovery from sleep mode and faster system boot time.
• Microsoft Edge is a new browser that replaces the well-known . After failures with the old version of the browser, the company decided that it was no longer possible to fix it and completely replaced it with a completely new one.
• Virtual desktops. This feature was not present in any of the previous versions of Windows, now the user can use as many desktops as he wants on one device.

But not all innovations have a positive assessment. The downside of Windows 10 Home is that the user has the right to choose how to update.

Windows 10 Pro

The innovations that appeared in Windows 10 Home are in the professional version. But Windows 10 Pro users have much more flexibility in choosing which updates to install and working on different networks. This option can also be used as a home option, but the main focus is on small business owners: enhanced data protection, many functions for processing and working with documents, and so on.

Windows 10 Pro differs from Enterprise in some ways, but in general it is suitable for running not only small but also medium-sized businesses.

If we talk about updates, the user will be able to receive not only standard updates, but also new ones for business-oriented programs and security systems. Also in the Windows 10 Pro version, you can independently configure the type of updates to be installed, set a schedule for them, or refuse them altogether.

Since the professional version is still intended for business, it enhances the security of data storage, including those located in the cloud.

If we compare Windows 10 Pro with Windows 10 Home, it has the following advantages:

• support for different devices and advanced management of them;
• encryption methods for data transmission over enterprise networks;
• a wider list of network standards;
• remote control, access to office printers and shared documents;
• working with the cloud;
• if necessary, this version can be upgraded to Enterprise for a small fee;
• group policy management.

All of the above functions are not very necessary for the average user and mainly simplify doing business, as they relate to working with documents. In principle, with specialized software and proper use, the Pro version can solve problems for large businesses, although there is a separate assembly for it - Enterprise.

In general, both the Pro version and the Home version have the same basic components, the only difference is in the business tools.

If the average user does not need business components, then the home edition will cope with all tasks perfectly. But the professional version is also suitable for home use.

As for the price, for both versions it is, to put it mildly, not at all affordable. There are two ways to purchase - either update the existing one, or download a system image from the official website. The version to which the system will be updated depends on the preinstalled OS.

But soon the free Windows update will end and you will still have to purchase it. By the way, if the user has an old Enterprise system, then he will not be able to take advantage of the free update option.

1 Windows Hello requires specialized biometric hardware, including a fingerprint scanner, illuminated IR sensor, or other biometric sensors. Hardware-based protection of Windows Hello credentials and keys requires Trusted Platform Module (TPM) 1.2 or later. If a TPM is missing or not configured, credentials and keys will be protected through software.

2 Requires modern hardware (compatible with InstantGo/AOAC/HSTI technologies). For more information about device encryption, see .

3 Key protection with TPM requires Trusted Platform Module (TPM) 1.2 or later.

4 Windows Information Protection to manage settings Windows 10 Pro requires Mobile Device Management (MDM) or System Center Configuration Manager. Active Directory makes management easier, but is not required.

5 Windows Information Protection supports mobile application management (MAM) for use with the Home edition only.

6 Requires a tablet or computer that supports the use of a digital pen. The pen can be purchased separately.

7 Performance claims are based on Jetstream 1.1 tests using Edge 18 versus Chrome 69 and Firefox 62. For more information about this performance claim, go to .

8 Features and functionality may vary on non-Windows devices.

9 Based on time averages; Battery life varies greatly depending on settings, usage, and other factors. For more information on this battery life claim, go to .

11 Users need to link their mobile phone to their PC in the settings menu. Users will receive an app from Microsoft that they need to download to their Android phone and then follow setup instructions, including signing in with a Microsoft account on mobile apps and Windows 10 PCs.

12 Users need to link their mobile phone to their PC in the settings menu. Users will receive an application from Microsoft that they can download to their mobile phone and then follow the installation wizard.

14 Not all MDM features are supported on home devices. MDM requires an MDM product such as Microsoft Intune or third-party solutions (sold separately).

15 Requires a separate Azure Active Directory Premium subscription.

16 Available in select regions. Features and applications may vary by region and device.

17 Timeline displays activity over the last 3-5 days, including activity on the phone and tablet if the user uses the same Microsoft account on all devices. To view activity for the last 30 days, the user must select this option in Settings. *Available in select regions. Support may vary depending on device.

*Based on comparison of average password entry time and face or fingerprint authentication time. Requires specialized hardware, including a fingerprint scanner, illuminated IR sensor, or other biometric sensors and related devices.

Additional requirements may apply for ongoing updates.

** Sold separately.

***Office 365 subscription required (sold separately).