COMPARISON OF MICROSOFT WINDOWS 8.

1, WINDOWS 7, WINDOWS VISTA

& WINDOWS XP

Developer
Date of
released to
manufacturing
General
availability
Platforms
Kernel type
Edition

Windows 8.1
Microsoft
27 August 2013

Windows 7
Microsoft
22 July 2009

Windows Vista
Microsoft
8 November
2006

Windows XP
Microsoft
24 August 2001

17 October
2013
IA-32, x64,
ARMv7
Hybrid
Windows 8.1,
Pro,
Enterprise,
Pro N,[8]
Enterprise N,
Enterprise K,
Enterprise KN,
Windows RT
8.1

22 October
2009
IA-32 and x8664
Hybrid
Starter,
Home Basic,
Home
Premium,
Professional,
Ultimate,
Enterprise,
Starter E,[6]
Home Basic E,
Home Premium
E,
Professional E,
Ultimate E,
Enterprise E,
Starter N,
Home Basic N,
Home Premium
N,
Professional N,
Ultimate N,
Enterprise N,
Starter K,
Home Basic K,
Home Premium
K,
Professional K,
Ultimate K,
Enterprise K,
Starter KN,
Home
Basic
KN,
Home Premium
KN,

30 January
2007
IA-32 and x8664
Hybrid
Starter,
Home Basic,
Home
Premium,
Business,
Enterprise,
Ultimate,
Home Basic K,
Home Basic N,
Home
Basic
KN,
Home Premium
K,
Home Premium
KN,
Business K,
Business N,
Business KN,
Enterprise K,
Enterprise KN,
Ultimate K,
Ultimate KN

25 October
2001
IA-32, x86-64
and Itanium
Hybrid
Starter Edition,
Home,
Professional,
Media Center,
Tablet PC,
Starter,
Embedded,
Home N,
Home K,
Home KN,
Professional N,
Professional K,
Professional
KN,
Professional
x64

Professional
KN,
Ultimate KN,
Enterprise KN
USER INTERFACE AND DESKTOP

Windows 8.1

Windows Vista

Windows 7

Windows XP

Windows 8.1, the Start screen received several enhancements on 8.1, including an
extended "All Apps" view with sort modes (accessed by clicking a new down arrow
button or swiping upward), small and extra-large sizes for tiles, and colored tiles for
desktop program shortcuts. Additional customization options were also added, such as
expanded color options, new backgrounds (some of which incorporate animated
elements), and the ability for the Start screen to use the desktop background instead.
Applications are no longer added to the Start screen automatically when installed, and all
applications now have colored tiles (desktop programs were previously shown in a single
color). The app snapping system has also been extended; up to four apps can be snapped
onto a single display depending on screen size, apps can be snapped to fill half the screen,
and can also be used on any display in a multi-monitor configuration. Windows 7, one of
the best things about Windows 7 is the improved search tool, which now rivals Mac OS
Xs Spotlight to be able to find what you need quickly and easily. For example, typing
mouse will bring up the mouse option within the control panel or typing a word will
display it and split it up neatly into files, folders and applications. Also introduced is the
concept of Libraries, which takes the My Documents concept a stage further. The
various Libraries, such as Documents and Pictures, will watch multiple locations which
you can add yourself, so you dont have to keep everything in one place. Windows Vista,
its features have four different levels of user experienceBasic, Windows Classic,
Standard, and Windows Aero. All controls are totally redesigned in Windows Vista and
look even better now. The Aero user interface is the top of the line and takes advantage of
the latest advances in computer hardware. On computers equipped with graphics
hardware that supports the new Windows Driver Display Model (WDDM), the Aero
provides more stability and smoother window handling. The main element of this
interface is the transparent glass design, with subtle effects such as dynamic reflections
and smooth animations. Windows XP, Windows XP's interface was overhauled with a
new visual appearance, with an increased use of alpha compositing effects, drop shadows,
and "visual styles", which completely change the appearance of the operating system. The
amount of effects enabled are determined by the operating system by the computer's
processing power, and can be enabled or disabled on a case-by-case basis. XP also added
ClearType, a new subpixel rendering system designed to improve the appearance of fonts
on liquid-crystal displays. A new set of system icons were also introduced. The default
wallpaper, Bliss, is a photo of a landscape in the Napa Valley outside Napa, California,
with rolling green hills and a blue sky with stratocumulus and cirrus clouds.

 COMPATIBILITY
Windows 8.1 also features a transparent "device encryption" system
based on BitLocker. Encryption begins as soon as a user begins using the system; the
recovery key is stored to either the user's Microsoft account or an Active Directory login,
allowing it to be retrieved from any computer. While device encryption is offered on all
versions of 8.1 unlike BitLocker (which is exclusive to the Pro and Enterprise editions),
device encryption requires that the device meet the Connected Standby specification and
have a Trusted Platform Module (TPM) 2.0 chip.[76][77] 8.1 also introduces improved
fingerprint recognition APIs, which allows user login, User Account Control, Windows
Store and Windows Store apps to use enrolled fingerprints as an authentication method. A
new kiosk mode known as "Assigned Access" was also added, allowing a device to be
configured to use a single app in a restricted environment. Additionally, Windows
Defender includes an intrusion detection system which can scan network activity for
signs of malware. 8.1 also allows third-party VPN clients to automatically trigger
connections. In simple terms, compatibility on Windows 7 will be far better than it was
with Vista. Many programs that individuals and companies used on Windows XP did not
work immediately and required updates, but with Windows 7 almost all applications that
work on Vista should still run. In essence, Windows Vista has done most of the hard
work for Windows 7 in this respect.