If you install Windows 7 on your Mac, you will need the full retail version (unless you already had a previous version of Windows on the Mac). For “Windows” PCs, you can go for Upgrade versions or OEM versions – although the legality is in question.

OS X on non-Apple hardware – it is technically possible, but still illegal; although here in Germany the term that states it can only be installed on Apple hardware is inside the sealed package, any terms you cannot read before paying for the product are null and void, so it seems that OS X falls into a quasi-legal loophole here.

I have a Windows 7 PC and an iMac here. I tend to use the iMac more, because my iPhone is synced with it. When I had a Windows Mobile in the summer, I used Vista more, because the ‘phone was synced with Vista… I really don’t see any real day-to-day advantages from either platform.

Windows 7 is an improvement over Vista and light-years better than XP (mind you, so was Vista).

At work, Windows 7 makes sense, at the moment, because we use Microsoft Office, with JetReports and Microsoft Navision as our main tools. We do have a Citrix server, so, from home, I can connect with the iMac or the Windows 7 machine to do work.

OS X excels in some areas, Windows in others. I wouldn’t say either has a distinct advantage, unless you have a specific application which only runs on one or the other.

As to the different versions, HP is all most home users require. Pro is HP + Domain logons and a few other dodads for use in an office network – group policies etc. Ultimate/Enterprise offers a lot of nice tools for managing large networks of machines and locking them down (BitLocker, for example), which the average user doesn’t need.

This is annoying for me, I want/need some of those abilities – AppLocker would be brilliant at work, but it means either upgrading all the machines to Ultimate or joining one of the MS licensing programs to get Enterprise, which is a pain, because we effectively have to pay twice for Windows, so it doesn’t make financial sense at the moment.

From the Home User’s point of view, it means they get all the bits they need for a lower price than getting everything and not using half of it. On the other hand, for the business user it means having to pay more.

OS X’s simplicity of versions is great, and I wish MS would adopt it. That would mean that I can replicate my office environment at home and test policies etc. more easily, but I wouldn’t be penalised for wanting to learn more about Windows…

Not to mention the Office 2007 Ultimate for £38.95 which includes the useful OneNote application and Office Live Workspace.

Does Mac have anything student-friendly?

Also, as hinted at before, one should look at the TCO not just OS prices i.e. hardware and applications cost too.

As for Microsoft’s pricing structure I admit it baffles me, but since Home Premium provides all my needs and thanks to the EU I was able to get a full copy for £67 inc p&p I am not too bothered.

http://prasys.co.cc/2009/10/empire-efi/#more-2127

I wonder how many people will forgo the multiple expensive flavors of windows 7?