In a blog article on the Windows 8 Editions, Microsoft’s Brandon LeBlanc announced that the next edition of the operating system will come in four versions: Windows 8, Windows 8 Pro, Windows RT, and Windows 8 Enterprise. That is, the new version will have fewer versions compared to Windows 7 that came in six versions.
The new version of Microsoft OS is expected to take away a lot of confusion for home users, who had three versions to choose from in Windows 7: Starter, Home Basic and Home Premium. That otherwise means, home users can simply opt for the basic version called Windows 8, unless the user has to use a more technically advanced version in which case the choice could be Windows 8 Pro.
Though, the name of the new version has been confirmed as Windows 8, it is neither announced when it will be released to the market, nor its price whenever it will be available to the consumers. The release of the new OS to the market may take a few months more, it seems.
The basic version Windows 8 is designed for home users who run a PC or a laptop. For technical and professional uses, there is the Windows 8 Pro offering a wider set of technologies such as encryption of file systems, domain management, virtualization, etc. The Windows RT version (aka Windows on ARM or WOA) is a new product that cannot be individually purchased but may come loaded with devices running ARM or preinstalled on tablets and other devices running on ARM processors and mobile apps. And the Windows 8 Enterprise is typically designed for large enterprises.
The new version of MS OS offers more flexibility and enhanced and better user-experience as it can be used with the conventional keyboard and mouse as well as with touch screens, and the user can switch between the two.
