Key Difference: Windows 7 Home Premium is an edition that the company has released that is aimed at the Home market. In many countries, such as the US, this edition is the only edition available for Home users. The Windows 7 Professional is an edition designed specifically for small business owners. It includes all of the features of the Windows 7 Home Premium and adds a few additional features of its own.

Windows 7 is an operating system launched by Microsoft for its PCs, laptops and netbooks. While, many other OS companies have launched standard and uniform operating systems for all of their users, Microsoft has divided its operating system into different versions. The different versions offer different features and capabilities for a different price. This is done to ensure that each user will only have to pay for the features that he/she requires. Windows 7 Home Premium and Professional are two versions of Windows 7 that are currently available on the market. The Home Premium version is available for home users, while the professional version is for small business owners.

 Windows 7 Home Premium is an edition that the company has released that is aimed at the Home market. In many countries, such as the US, this edition is the only edition available for Home users. Microsoft has placed heavy focus on the making it home-friendly and an entertainment OS, offering features such as Windows Media Center, Windows Aero and multi-touch support. In addition to these features, it also offers Aero for providing aesthetic appeal. It offers updates for Internet Explorer, ability to create a home network to allow easy access to printers and other gadgets. These new features are in addition to the features that are already available Windows Starter and Home Basic (available only in emerging markets). This is go-to edition for many people that wish to have a family PC at home or for children.

The Windows 7 Professional is an edition designed specifically for small business owners. It includes all of the features of the Windows 7 Home Premium and adds a few additional features of its own. This is the third-most expensive edition that is available on the market.  The CD includes both the 32-bit and the 64-bit versions that let’s the user decide which architecture they want to incorporate depending on their RAM usage and the amount of data processed. The main function of the Professional edition is its ability to connect to business networks with Domain Join. Professional also offers mobility features such as ability to detect the closest printer based on the network that is logged on, as well as data protection capabilities. It includes additional features such as Restore Previous Versions, HomeGroup, advanced backup options and Windows Media Center.

All versions of Windows 7, except the Windows 7 Starter and Home Basic version will play DVDs without the need for downloading any extra software. All versions of Windows 7 will receive Mainstream Support until January 2015 and Extended Support till January 2020.

This checklist is adapted from the diagrams provided by Microsoft to Neowin.net.

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