Windows 8, a major release of theMicrosoft Windowsoperating system, was available in four different editions: Windows 8 (Core), Pro, Enterprise, and RT. Only Windows 8 (Core) and Pro were widely available at retailers.[1] The other editions focus on other markets, such asembedded systems orenterprise. All editions support 32-bitIA-32CPUs andx64 CPUs.
Windows 8 (also sometimes referred to asWindows 8 (Core) to distinguish from the OS itself)[2] is the basic edition of Windows for theIA-32 andx64 architectures. This edition contains features aimed at the homemarket segment and provides all of the basic new Windows 8 features.
Windows 8 Pro with Media Center was never sold directly, but was included with the Windows 8 Pro Pack[5] and temporarily offered for free on Microsoft's website as an upgrade from Windows 8 Pro. This edition addsWindows Media Center back from the premium editions of Windows 7. No official installation media exists; it must be downloaded from the Add Features to Windows program. Besides the addition of Windows Media Center, it is identical to Windows 8 Pro.
Windows 8 Enterprise
Windows 8 Enterprise provides all the features in Windows 8 Pro (except the ability to install the Windows Media Center add-on), with additional features to assist with IT organization (see table below).[3] This edition is available toSoftware Assurance customers, as well asMSDN andTechnet Professional subscribers, and was released on 16 August 2012.[6]
Windows RT is only available pre-installed onARM-based devices such as tablet PCs.[7] It includes touch-optimized desktop versions of the basic set of Office 2013 applications to users—Microsoft Word,Excel,PowerPoint, andOneNote, and supports device encryption capabilities. Several business-focused features such as Group Policy and domain support are not included.
Software for Windows RT can be either downloaded fromWindows Store orsideloaded, although sideloading on Windows RT must first be enabled by purchasing additional licenses through Microsoftvolume licensing outlet.[8][9] Desktop software that runs on previous versions of Windows cannot be run on Windows RT[10] asWindows Store apps are based onWindows RuntimeAPI which differs from the traditional apps.[8] According to CNET, these essential differences may raise the question of whether Windows RT is an edition of Windows: in a conversation with Mozilla, Microsoft deputy general counsel David Heiner was reported to have said Windows RT "isn't Windows anymore." Mozilla general counsel, however, dismissed the assertion on the basis that Windows RT has the same user interface,application programming interface and update mechanism.[11]
All mentioned editions have the ability to use language packs, enabling multiple user interface languages.[4] (This functionality was previously available in Ultimate or Enterprise edition of Windows 7 and Windows Vista.) However, in China and otheremerging markets,[citation needed] a variation of Windows 8 without this capability, called Windows 8 Single Language, is sold. This edition can be upgraded to Windows 8 Pro.[13] Furthermore, like inWindows Phone 7 andWindows Phone 8 (since the latter shares the sameWindows NT kernel as its desktop variant), OEMs who preload Windows 8 can choose not to support certain display languages either out of the box or make them available for download. These exact choices depend on the device manufacturer and country/region of purchase (as well as the wireless carrier for cellular-connected devices). For example, a cellular-connected Samsung ATIV Smart PC running Windows 8 on AT&T only supports English, Spanish, French, German, Italian, and Korean (the last three are available as optional downloads).
Additional Windows 8 editions specially destined for European markets have the letter "N" (e.g. Windows 8.1 Enterprise N) suffixed to their names and do not include a bundled copy ofWindows Media Player. Microsoft was required to create the "N" editions of Windows after theEuropean Commission ruled in 2004 that it needed to provide a copy of Windows without Windows Media Player tied in.
Windows 8.1 with Bing is a reduced-cost SKU ofWindows 8.1 for OEMs that was introduced in May 2014. It was introduced as part of an effort to encourage the production of low-cost devices, whilst "driving end-user usage of Microsoft Services such asBing andOneDrive". It is subsidized by Microsoft's Bing search engine, which is set as the default withinInternet Explorer, and cannot be changed to a third-party alternative by the OEM. This restriction does not apply to end-users, who can still change the default search engine freely after installation. It is otherwise identical to the base edition.[14][15][16]
Windows Embedded 8 Standard is a componentized edition of Windows 8 for use in specialized devices. It was released on 20 March 2013.[17][18] Notable for being the only edition of Windows 8 to not get an update to8.1. It reached the end of mainstream support on July 10, 2018, and reached the end of extended support on July 11, 2023.[19]
Windows Embedded 8 Industry is an edition of Windows 8 for use in industrial devices. It was released on 2 April 2013 and is available in Pro, Pro Retail, and Enterprise editions.[20]
IncludesWindows Embedded 8 Pro andWindows Embedded 8 Enterprise editions, which are binary identical to their respective non-embedded editions, differing only in licensing.[21]
These are the final editions of Windows (excludingServer) to use the "Windows Embedded" branding. Starting with the release ofWindows 10, Microsoft switched to the use of "WindowsIoT" branding.
The following in-place upgrade paths are supported fromWindows 7.[3] It is only possible to upgrade from anIA-32 variant of Windows 7 to an IA-32 variant of Windows 8; anx64 variant of Windows 7 can only be upgraded to an x64 variant of Windows 8. The retail package entitled Windows 8 Pro Upgrade was restricted to upgrading a computer with licensed Windows XP SP3, Windows Vista or Windows 7. Finally, there is no upgrade path for Windows RT.[22]
In-upgrade is not available for Windows Vista and Windows XP. However, on Windows XP SP3 and Windows Vista RTM, it is possible to perform a clean install while preserving personal files. On Windows Vista SP1, it is possible to perform a clean install but save system settings as well. While Microsoft still refers to the scenarios as "upgrade", the user still need to reinstall all apps, carry out necessary license activation steps and reinstate app settings.[24]
^abcNot all computers running Windows 8 can perform sideloading. Out-of-box sideloading support is only available for Windows 8 Enterprise computers that have joined aWindows domain. Sideloading on Windows RT and Windows 8 Pro computers as well as Windows 8 Enterprise computers without a domain affiliation requires purchase of additional licenses through Microsoftvolume licensing outlet.[8]
^AppLocker enforces application whitelisting or blacklisting in a corporate environment. In other words, it can be used to allow or prevent execution of software based on name, version number or publisher.[34]
^abcdLeBlanc, Brandon (2 July 2012)."Upgrade to Windows 8 Pro for $39.99 | Windows Experience Blog".blogs.windows.com. Retrieved24 January 2020.And if you want, you can add Windows Media Center for free through the "add features" option within Windows 8 Pro after your upgrade.
^abcd"How to Add and Remove Apps".TechNet. Microsoft. 31 May 2012. Retrieved4 October 2012.To enable sideloading on a Windows 8 Enterprise computer that is not domain-joined or on any Windows® 8 Pro computer, you must use a sideloading product activation key. To enable sideloading on a Windows® RT device, you must use a sideloading product activation key. For more information about sideloading product activation keys, see Microsoft Volume Licensing.
^"Add features: FAQ".Windows 8 Help.Microsoft.Archived from the original on 23 October 2015.Can I add features to my Single Language edition of Windows? Yes. If you bought the Windows 8.1 Pro Pack or Windows 8 Pro Pack, you should be able to install it and activate Windows successfully.
^Leblanc, Brandon."Upgrade to Windows 8 Pro for $39.99".Blogging Windows. Microsoft. Retrieved3 July 2012.You can add Windows Media Center for free through the "add features" option within Windows 8 Pro after your upgrade.
^Thurrott, Paul (4 June 2013)."In Blue: Device Encryption".Paul Thurrott's SuperSite for Windows. Penton Media. Archived fromthe original on 9 June 2013. Retrieved10 June 2013.
^"Utilities and SDK for Subsystem for UNIX-based Applications in Windows 8 and Windows Server 2012".Download Center. Microsoft. 31 October 2012. Retrieved31 March 2013....be sure that SUA [Subsystem for Unix-based Applications] is installed on the target computer. On computers that are running Windows 8 Enterprise, open Control Panel/Programs/Programs and Features/Turn Windows features on or off, and then select Subsystem for UNIX-based Applications.
