In early 2007, Windows Vista, the latest generation of Microsoft's market-dominating operating system for the PC was finally released to an expectant public after many years in development.

Outdoing it's predecessor, Windows XP, Vista exists in a remarkable variety of flavors; six, to be precise though in practice only four of these options are likely to be considered by the broad range of potential users. In ascending order these are:-

• Windows Vista Home Basic, as you would expect, this is the entry-level version and therefore aimed at the "no-frills" user with no special functionality requirements. Get our review here.
• Windows Vista Home Premium This is likely to be the most popular version of of Windows Vista and is roughly equivalent to the home version in the XP range. Read about it here.
• Windows Vista Business This is likely to be the most popular version of of Windows Vista and is roughly equivalent to the home version in the XP range. Here's our review.
• Windows Vista Ultimate This is likely to be the most popular version of of Windows Vista and is roughly equivalent to the home version in the XP range. Read about it here.

The main features of each version are compared side-by-side here.

For the record, the other editions are:-

• First Windows Vista Starter, a limited form of the operating system designed for the PC newcomer and available only in emerging markets. Windows Vista Starter is not therefore available in the United States, Canada, the European Union, Australia, New Zealand, or other high-income markets.
• And at the other end of the scale is Windows Vista Enterprise edition which is aimed at large, global organizations with complex IT infrastructures.