The never-ending arguments and rumors around the latest SKUs that should be included by Microsoft in their pending major OS release, Windows 7, might could halt for a little well as Microsoft had officially sealed the final shipping versions, and it already provoked much bigger chaos thanks to still too many choices of editions, angering a lot of people.

Well, Microsoft did publish the pending SKUs of Windows 7, which would be, Windows 7 Starter, Home Basic, Home Premium, Professional, Enterprise, and Ultimate, seemingly just as same as those SKUs of Windows Vista with only Business now gets renamed to the old Professional as they did in naming Windows XP.

Let’s be honest that Microsoft never did a great job in explaining SKUs. Worse than that, when people get notices of these SKUs, usually they are reading off someone’s blog or newsite. Reporters would manipulate the information much enough to make even Microsoft unfamiliar with the result.

If you want to know exactly what editions will be distributed under Windows 7 name and why, go here for detail, which is a must read.

http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/features/2009/feb09/02-03Win7SKU-QA.mspx

If you got bored with reading Microsoft’s press script, let’s take a adventure ahead to discover what Microsoft wants to bring about this time.

According to their press release script published online, Microsoft obviously had learnt the lessons they got with Windows Vista. Now every pricier product will be a superset of features included in less priced product, essentially eliminating the embarrassment that in Vista-era a more expensive Business doesn’t have Windows Media Center which is a part of the less priced Home Premium.

This time, Microsoft want to make two versions of Windows 7 the most sells, Windows 7 Home Premium and Windows 7 Professional.

Home Premium aims at home users, which has everything entertainment while Professional will add more functions exclusively designed for business purpose.

Actually, you could think that there are only two versions of Windows 7 available, and believe me, it’s an idea that would make Microsoft happier.

On basis of these two major versions, more flavors are available for different purpose.

Windows 7 Starter and Home Basic will be focusing on emerging markets although rumor had it they will be available worldwide. These two versions lack many functions the other ones have, and all you have to remember is they both don’t have that elegant Aero interface and for Starter, you are allowed to use only 3 applications simultaneously.

I think Windows 7 Home Basic might be popular with some netbooks considering its low demand on hardware.

Microsoft will continue providing an Enterprise version to its volume customers and an Ultimate version for enthusiasts. Their only difference would be the fact that for consumers it’s really hard to get Enterprise which will be sold through volume channels only. So Ultimate is an Enterprise for home user with some minor tweaked or added feature over its counterparts.

Upgrading from Windows XP is disabled, and upgrading from Windows Vista would be quite easy since they almost shared same SKUs. Upgrading within Windows 7 SKUs will also be much easier thanks to Vista-ear one-image-for-all product policy.

Microsoft did a right thing with Windows 7, and everything around the new Windows is like a major SP upgrade for their Vista-era counterparts. The best choice they made is to reduce the three version choices in Vista-era to two now as they did in XP-era. Two is just fine while three is too many for people to choose from.

In Windows XP times, all you need to do is to make sure where you will use your computer, home or work, hence consequently Home or Professional. However, in Vista times, people are stuck with how to choose between the least pricy Home Premium but having no business function, the moderate Business that has no entertainment, or the Ultimate that have it all but too expensive.

People hate having to choose from many. All they need is a simple choice. Easy time came back with Windows 7 SKU policy. Now we can finally choose with ease again where to use a computer to decide which version to buy, Home or Professional. This I regard as the biggest improvement in the advertising of the new OS.

With rumor slating Windows 7 will be RTMed in June and shipped in July, we are nearer the perfection Microsoft had been doing for years.

Well done this time, Microsoft. Please keep it up.

Much more detail will be disclosed by Microsoft in recent future.