Windows 11 Home or Pro: What Microsoft wants an extra $60 for

What's so special about Windows 10 Home

Windows 10 Home is the basic version. It is intended for home use. This particular edition is mainly installed on new computers, laptops, and tablets. This Windows has everything you need for full-fledged work, from documentation to the ability to develop software.

Windows 10 Home and Pro OS are used for different purposes

The Home edition has a flaw. It cannot be used in large organizations, as it does not provide elements of corporate interaction. In addition, virtualization systems are not available, which make it possible to deploy additional operating systems on one computer.

Windows Home users have access to dozens of typical features such as live tiles, voice assistant, Microsoft Edge browser, tablet mode, etc. It is not difficult to do without access to elements of corporate work, the business environment, performance tests and multi-stage encryption.

There is nothing special about the system requirements. A processor with a clock frequency of at least 1 GHz, up to 2 GB of RAM, and a screen resolution of at least 800x600 are required.

For your information! The installed OS of this edition occupies no more than 20 GB on the hard drive.

Azure Active Directory

Azure Active Directory is a cloud-based management service that helps employees sign in to specific profiles and resources. This gives employees access to Office, the Azure portal, and thousands of other SaaS applications. This is a great tool for IT administrators as it allows you to control user access to applications and resources based on your business requirements. This allows you to set up individual profiles with specified levels of access to individual resources within the business.

What's so special about Windows 10 Pro

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Windows 10 Pro (Professional) is more suitable for those who use their device for business or other equally important matters. It is especially important how Windows 10 Pro differs from Home - the ability to join a domain. Azure Active Directory also becomes available to the user, thanks to which he can enter the regional space and work in a group.

One of the features of the Professional version is the presence of Hyper-V

Professional also has the following features:

• Hyper-V for virtualization;
• BitLocker for disk encryption;
• Internet Explorer special enterprise version;
• business version of the store;
• Enterprise Data Protection containers.

Note! In the Professional edition, the user has the ability to schedule when updates will be installed. This will help avoid overloading your computer when you need it to work.

Certain computer models that are primarily designed for business use come out of the box with Windows 10 Pro.

Internet Explorer Enterprise Mode

Historically, some web-based business applications were built on old, outdated versions of Internet Explorer. Instead of upgrading their business application to a newer version of IE, many of these companies decided to keep their employees on older versions. The business was still running the old IE and they saw no reason to upgrade.

Remember that Internet Explorer Enterprise Mode allows users of the latest version of IE to access cores from legacy versions. This means they have access to better security and the latest web technologies without having to upgrade their entire business.

What components are in these versions of Windows 10

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Each version of Windows consists of a number of components that solve certain user problems. They vary depending on the edition. This is another point that you need to pay attention to when choosing Windows 10 Pro or Home.

Basic functionality

Of course, all editions of Windows 10 have a lot in common. We are talking about basic components, including:

• Personalization - the user can customize the desktop, start menu and other elements to suit himself in such a way that it is pleasant for him to work at the computer.
• Built-in protection - Microsoft installs it regardless of whether Windows 10 Home or Pro, it is installed by default on the system and prevents malware from leaking from the network.
• Cortana is a personal voice assistant that interacts with the user when working with a PC (in 2022 it does not yet support the Russian language).
• The Microsoft Edge browser is installed by default and serves as an excellent alternative to the outdated Internet Explorer.

Microsoft Edge was able to adequately replace Internet Explorer

Besides this, there are other advantages:

• operational launch of the system;
• economical battery consumption, which is especially important for laptops and tablets;
• ability to switch to portable mode;
• multitasking;
• virtual desktop.

This functionality makes working at the computer more comfortable.

Memory limits and other business features

Another global difference between the versions is the support for a certain amount of RAM memory. On Windows 10 Home it's 128GB, while on Pro it's 2TB. An impressive volume is relevant only when there is a need to use a large number of virtual machines.

Group Policy management, the option to connect to a domain, and restricting access - this is the functionality inherent in the professional edition. Obviously, it is unlikely that anyone will need it outside of the work environment.

For your information! For users who have purchased a computer or laptop for everyday tasks, the Home version will be sufficient. It is also enough for programmers to write code.

Simplified Windows 10 updates and deployments

Windows 10 Home and Pro have differences in their functionality in different areas of the system. However, some points of these editions completely coincide:

• System deployment using the “in-place upgrades” method. Its clear advantage is the ability to transfer user data and installed programs.
• Updating the entire OS in a special way, in which only the components that differ between the old and new versions are installed on the computer.
• Update download optimization, which analyzes the process, optimizing it.

Professional editing has additional advantages:

• analysis of the system’s readiness for updating, taking into account installed drivers, programs, and managed workflows;
• malware protection;
• control the frequency and order of downloading updates.

Remote Desktop (RDP)

Windows 10, even in the home version, does not lack the ability to start working using “Remote Desktop Connection”. However, there is no way to control a personal PC via the network. To solve this problem, you must use one of 2 methods:

• free services like TigerVNC Team or Viewer;
• RDP Wrapper Library, which will expand the functionality in Windows.

Flexible device and application management

It’s worth noting right away that in the home version there is no flexible management of devices and applications in principle. As for Pro, this version is capable of:

• mobile device management (MDM);
• allow the user to enter Kiosk mode;
• connect to cloud services, including Azure Active Directory;
• allow control of the Start menu and TskBar, as well as boot branding.

Tablet mode in the top ten

This functionality is more specific, so it is not relevant for every user.

Intelligent Security

Regarding security, Microsoft in the top ten has done a good job on this. Both versions have:

• multi-factor authentication;
• Microsoft Authenticator support;
• support for compatible security keys;
• automatic encryption of compatible devices;
• data leakage prevention (copy protection, removable storage protection, application access control.

The difference between the professional edition lies in hardware isolation of single sign-on tokens, additional encryption settings, and protection of removable drives.

Increased productivity and productivity

Which edition is better to choose?

Knowing the global difference when comparing the Pro and Home editions, you should take into account your own needs and financial capabilities, because a license for the professional version will cost more.

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For a home computer or laptop when there is no need to solve business problems, Windows 10 Home is quite suitable and can cover standard everyday user needs.

Important! The home version does not suit another category of people - fans of fine tuning. To implement this, you will need a registry editor.

The home version is fully enough to solve everyday problems

DirectX 12 and working with video cards

Even before the release of the system, Microsoft announced that a new version of DirectX would be released specifically for the dozen.

It's true, DirectX 12 has been released. But it only supports new video cards.

Owners of old video cards will have to stay on DirectX 11 or spend money on new hardware.

In principle, there is logic here. The new system only supports new technologies. But it’s somehow a shame for the owners of old components.

However, ten may sweeten the pill for owners of old video cards. Thanks to excellent system optimization, game graphics performance has increased noticeably.

You just need to install the latest video card drivers under 10 and the result will be obvious.

Checking the installed version of Windows 10

Sometimes users have a question about which edition of Windows OS they have installed. Most often this happens after purchasing a new device. Such information is available to every user and you can check the edition and bitness (32-bit or 64-bit) in several ways:

• Using "Options. You can enter them through the Start menu. They are on the left and look like a gear icon. You can also quickly enter “Settings” by pressing the key combination Win (usually the Windows logo on the keyboard) + I. In the window, open “System” and “About the system”. Detailed information regarding the version, bit capacity, and assembly will appear on the monitor.
• Obtaining brief information through the Run window. First, the user needs to call it. This is done by pressing Win+R. In the line that appears, you need to enter the word winver and confirm your action by clicking the “OK” button. A window with abbreviated information about Windows will immediately open on the monitor. The user will have access to information about the build and OS version.
• Receiving detailed information through the “Run” window. To get more data, the user needs to proceed in the same way as in the previous case, but instead of winver, enter msinfo32.
• Using the command line. Users usually think that the command line is for advanced users, but this is not the case. It's quite easy to work with. You can open it through the Start menu. To avoid searching for a long time, you can enter “Command Line” into the search. In the standard window that opens, the build number is usually written at the top. If this is not enough, then more detailed information can be obtained by entering systeminfo. To execute the command you need to press Enter.
• Through the registry. It can also be opened through the Run window. In the “Open” line you need to enter regedit and click “OK”. This will open the Registry Editor. To obtain information about the system, the user needs to go to the following address: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\ SOFTWARE\ Microsoft\ Windows NT\ CurrentVersion.

System Information via Settings

In Windows 10, the difference between Home and Pro is functionality. Their interface and basic options are completely identical. The professional version is a good option for those who work in a company or have their own business.

Latest OS or not?

Microsoft called its newly released system “the latest.” This does not mean that the company has decided to leave the software market.

This means that there will no longer be versions of Windows under the new serial numbers.

Microsoft decided to follow the path of Apple, which has not changed the serial number of its OS for five years. MacOS X remains the same.

Microsoft decided to do the same. Now the “new” systems will only ship as a global update to Windows 10.

You might think that the company itself limited its income from each copy sold: you paid for the OS upon purchase and you don’t worry anymore.

But no, there are no fools at Microsoft. And no one will give you updates for free.

The company introduced a subscription system. That is, I paid for a subscription for a year and received an activated copy of Windows. A year has passed, activation fails - pay again.

So Microsoft can easily rip off users like crazy, increasing its already considerable income.