Which Windows 8 version is right for your small business? - smithknorted

Regardless of whether your business is Luck 500 big or mom-and-pop small, transitioning to a new operating system is a major strive—and a major headache. There's a reason why so many companies still use Windows XP, later all. So when you do prick the bullet, you require to produce sure you're picking an OS that meets all your necessarily.

But wait! The decision-making process ISN't finished at one time you've decided to transition your company to Microsoft's latest operating system. Like previous versions of Windows, Windows 8 comes in several editions. There's the basic, straightforward Windows 8—similar to the Home edition in preceding versions of Windows—as well as costlier Windows 8 In favou and Windows 8 Go-ahead versions, both of which offer additional business-friendly features.

Which is compensate for your byplay? IT all depends on your company's particular needs. Let's tumble what each version of Windows 8 brings to the table.

Windows 8

Most diminished businesses will be fine operative the standard variant of Windows 8, which we muffled in-depth in our established Windows 8 review. While the flashy modality overhaul Crataegus laevigata have acknowledged the OS a whole new wait and tone, Windows 8's desktop way is in essence Windows 7 sans a Start clit—on with several under-the-hood tweaks that improve the operating organization's overall speed and reactivity.

That's not to sound out the stock version of the Oculus sinister skimps on new features. Windows 8 raises the bar on the security front, offering a multitude of center improvements, while the addition of lodge histories, improved multi-monitor support, native ISO and VHD mounting, amalgamated Storage Spaces, and a streamlined Task Handler make it easier to get things done happening a day-to-day basis. From a direct productivity perspective, Windows 8 boots up, shuts down, and wakes from sleep faster than greased lightning, specially if your business has invested in solid-state drives.

Before you dive into any version of Windows 8, however, take the potential training and sustain costs you mightiness find past adopting Microsoft's new-aspect OS. The fashionable UI-style Start Screen is a radical shift from the time-honoured Windows desktop (which is just a live-tile dawn forth), and usability experts say that Windows 8's flat project and hidden controls are unintuitive for average users. We base the learning curve moderate at best, but you will need to vest some resources in educating your employees about Windows 8. If touchscreen support isn't a major concern, think hard about whether Windows 7 or Windows 8 would constitute a better fit for your business sector.

Windows 8 Pro

Windows 8 Affirmative costs more than Windows 8, but you receive some nifty new features in return. The ability to install the ex gratia Windows 8 Media Center Load down for $10 plausibly won't appeal in a business setting, but other Windows 8 Pro additions are firm business-friendly, albeit extremely unique in nature. Here are the highlights:

Domains and group policy. Does your lin use a centrally administered network with a Windows Server domain and group policy? These features earmark an organization to centrally manage a network, including user profiles and computer settings, from a single server. Many a businesses trust on domains and group policies, and only computers running Windows 8 Pro or Enterprise can use them.

BitLocker and EFS. BitLocker makes a return in Windows 8. It's a full-disk encoding solution that tail end encrypt entire hard drives, including your Windows system driveway Beaver State even USB drives (with BitLocker To Go). Once you've encrypted a drive with BitLocker, anyone who powers on the computer OR connects the USB drive will need to enter the encoding key, Beaver State the drive volition remain locked and inaccessible—a useful feature if you're dealing with sensitive customer entropy. Windows 8 Favoring also packs support for Microsoft's encrypted file system (EFS) technology. Businesses that need Windows 8 Pro onlyfor its encoding features can try using TrueCrypt, instead. It's a free, open-source encryption solvent that works with all desktop versions of Windows.

The Windows 8 version of Hyper-V lacks the native Windows XP virtualization financial support found in Windows 7's variant. At present you need a license key to flow from a Windows XP virtual machine.

Hyper-V. Hyper-V is an integrated virtualization solution that has ready-made its way from Windows Server to Windows 8, although it's missing some of the Server edition's more exotic options. Basically, it's useful for running multiple virtualized servers on a single Windows system operating theatre for installation other guest operating systems within Windows 8 for software testing. If you're not sure whether you need Hyper-V, you probably don't.

Even if you need virtualization support, still, you don't of necessity need Hyper-V and Windows 8 Pro. VirtualBox, a free piece of virtual automobile software, works happening any Windows system. (You can also usage VirtualBox to strain Windows 8 free of charge.) VMware Workstation is another popular work virtualization product, although IT isn't unbound.

Remote Desktop hosting. While any Windows 8 PC backside use Microsoft's Remote Screen background app to link up to a host computer, only Windows 8 In favou and Go-ahead installations can be configured as a host PC and accessed from afar.

Windows 8 Enterprise

Most small or moderate-size businesses won't need the advanced features found in Windows 8 Enterprise, which sports super-specialised tools that are more useful in monolithic enterprise environments—hence the name. In point of fact, while Microsoft is happy to sell anyone copies of Windows 8 and Windows 8 Pro, you'll need to have got at least five PCs in your business and you'll need to participate in Microsoft's Volume Licensing program to invite access to Windows 8 Enterprise.

We've covered the biggest benefits of Windows 8 Enterprise in a isolable post. One of the brightest highlights is Windows To Go, which allows employees to boot into a overfull, dirigible, and BitLocker-encryptable version of Windows 8 Enterprise off of a USB thumb drive. It's a great solution to the conundrums posed by the BYOD trend, but nearly small businesses can likely capture by without it.

Windows RT

Windows RT can't be purchased directly; it's only found preinstalled connected ARM processor-supercharged Windows RT tablets such every bit the Microsoft Surface RT. Windows RT mostly mimics Windows 8, only dissimilar its PC-focussed counterparts, Windows RT cannotrun traditional desktop programs. Instead, it can head for the hills onlythe Modern-UI-style Windows 8 apps found in the Windows Store, and while the Windows Store's app selection is improving, information technology's still generally lacking in both measure and quality.

The comprehension of the Office Home and Student RT suite is a major boon for Windows RT tablets, but licensing technicalities stamp out its legal habituate in the work.

"As oversubscribed, Power Place & Student 2022 RT Preview and the final edition are not designed for commercial, nonprofit, or revenue-generating activities," explains the Office Home & Student RT FAQ page. "However, organizations who purchase commercial use rights or own a commercialised license to Office 2022 suites keister utilisation Government agency Place & Pupil 2022 RT for commercial, nonprofit, or revenue-generating activities."

Starring bummer. Be sure to keep those considerations in judgement when you're choosing 'tween Windows RT and Windows 8 tablets for your company. With choke-full-fledged Windows 8 tablets like the Genus Acer W510 and Dingle Parallel 10 starting to come on for $500—roughly the aforesaid terms as a Windows RT tablet—it's hard to recommend picking up a Windows RT tablet for your business.

Follow the proper path, schoolgirlish grasshopper

The available upgrade paths from Windows 7 to Windows 8.

Spell you're deciding which version of Windows 8 is mighty for your SMB, keep in mind that your current Windows 7 induction may constrain your Windows 8 raise path. The chart above comes from the surprisingly comprehensive Wikipedia entry on the individual Windows 8 editions, which also includes a large spreadsheet that visually details which features are disposable in which editions of the operating system. While it's a scra luminance on information some the specific utilities, information technology's a very adroit resource for comparing the boast sets of Windows RT and the various Windows 8 editions at a glance.