The six Windows Vista variants are:

• Windows Starter 2007
  
• Windows Vista Enterprise
  
• Windows Vista Home Basic
  
• Windows Vista Home Premium
  
• Windows Vista ultimate
  
• Windows Vista Business

Also on the list are two additional releases, Windows Vista Home Basic N and Windows Vista Business N. The "N" releases omit Media Player.

Microsoft currently offers six core Windows XP SKUs. That line-up includes XP Home, Professional, Media Center, Tablet PC, and Professional x64, and Windows XP Starter. (Microsoft also offers "N" versions of its XP Home and XP Professional releases, as stipulated by the European antitrust regulators.)

Vista will not have separate Tablet, Media Center, or x64 SKUs, according to the Microsoft-Watch article. Additionally, all of the planned Vista versions other than Windows Vista Starter will be offered in both 32- and 64-bit flavors.

All SKUs will integrate Internet Explorer 7.0, the new Vista desktop search, parental controls and Windows Defender anti-spyware technology.

Get more details from the complete story at Microsoft Watch:

What's Inside the Six Windows Vista Releases?

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