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• Starter Edition comes preinstalled only on netbooks that meet certain restrictions. It has many user-interface limitations — as befits its rock-bottom price, which is intended to reduce the list price of new netbooks running Windows.
  
  Starter won't play DVD movies. Hardware makers, however, will undoubtedly bundle DVD software such as PowerDVD or WinDVD with their optical drives. As an alternative, you could install the highly acclaimed free VLC media player and play movies till the cows come bungee-jumping home. You'll find a download link for the program on the VideoLAN site.
  
  Bottom line: Starter works fine if you're on a budget. Before you choose that bare-bones edition, however, consider that Win7 Home Premium may be available on a netbook for not much more money than you'd pay for Starter.
  
  
• Ultimate Edition is for people who have way too much money tearing a hole in their pockets. Avoid this version unless you desperately need the ability to scramble all the data on your hard drive (using MS's proprietary BitLocker) or you want to be able to change your copy of Windows so all of the menus, help files, dialog boxes, and so on appear in a different language (multilanguage support).
  
  Actually, Ultimate is so expensive, it may be cheaper to buy a second copy of Windows 7 Home Premium in the second language you wish to use and dual-boot between the two versions.
  

• Join a domain. If your PC needs to participate in an organization's "domain" network, you need Win7 Pro or Ultimate.
  
  
• Back up to a network drive. Both Starter and Home Premium have fully functional backup and restore programs that run automatically with very little fuss. These two versions also maintain "shadow copies" or previous versions of files — snapshots typically taken once a day.
  
  Windows 7 Pro adds the ability to store backups on your network. With Home Premium, you can store backups only on local drives, including removable drives. Of course, if you have Windows Home Server or some other form of network-based copying, you're already covered for remote backup.
  
  
• Act as a Remote Desktop puppet. Every recent version of Windows includes the ability to control another PC via a feature called Remote Desktop. But to be able to have your PC be controlled — if you want it to act as a puppet, with another PC pulling the strings — it must be running a Pro or Ultimate release.
  
  There are several free or low-cost services — notably LogMeIn Free and GoToMyPC — that pull off the same remote-access trick, and they don't require a Pro or Ultimate version of Windows.
  
  
• Sync files offline. Windows 7 Pro's built-in file synchronizer lets you designate a file or folder on another networked computer as being "offline." That automatically sets up caching and updating, so the file(s) are updated every time you reconnect your computer to the network.
  
  As you might imagine, there are many ways to sync files and folders, including Microsoft's own free SyncToy, which you can get from Microsoft's download page. SyncToy has many more features than Windows 7's built-in file syncher but doesn't work as easily.
  
  
• Run in Windows XP Mode. In theory, this feature lets you run Windows XP programs — unaltered — on a Windows 7 Pro PC. This version includes a fully licensed copy of Windows XP and Windows Virtual PC.
  
  In my July 2 column, I described Win7's XP Mode as a pig in a pre-release poke. If you really need to run an XP virtual machine, get the free VMware Player, which you'll find on the VMware site, and use an old retail copy of XP.
  
  
• Encrypt files and connect to projectors. Among the other quasi-notable features in Windows 7 Pro are two that may interest you. The Encrypting File System offers strong encryption of files and folders, although many people use the encryption techniques already found in applications such as Word and Excel.
  
  If you commonly give presentations, Win7 Pro lets you connect quickly to a network projector (by pressing WindowsKey+P) and automatically disable screensavers and IM clients for the duration of a presentation. Ho-hum.
  

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• "One of the features that is lacking in OpenDNS, which has had over 1,000 requests, is a blocking schedule. Even though I let my kids play Runescape, I don't want them to play all the time. I would really like a scheduler added to this product and it would then be a great product, not just a good product."
  

• "If you haven't heard from other disappointed users, I am writing to call attention to the fact that Microsoft pulled the Windows 7 Pre-Order Special from the Microsoft Store site at approximately 11:15 p.m. EDT on 7/11/2009. Until the switch, the site plainly stated that the 50%-off pricing was available until 11:59 p.m. EDT.
  
  "A conversation with a Microsoft Store representative on 7/12/2009 revealed that a lot of potential upgraders called to voice their frustration over this issue. Of course, the Microsoft employee denied any shortcoming and offered to place an order for the full price. When I disclosed that I would tell as many people who would listen about the Microsoft blunder, the individual hinted that Microsoft may offer this promotional deal again before the general release of Windows 7 in October."
  

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By Stephanie Small In today's hurry-up world, who doesn't eat on the run? We drive, talk on the phone, catch up on e-mail, and do almost any other task while trying to consume a meal. Multitaskers take note: genius inventors have made eating even less of a hassle. Introducing … the fast-food feedbag! To allow hands-free eating of your favorite fast-food meals, just slip the device over your ears and enjoy a pouch that blends your favorite menu choices together into an easy-to-eat mixture. For an extra 50 cents, you can throw in a beverage — literally. So stop by a participating Taco Bell, KFC, or Pizza Hut, grab a feedbag, and get busy! Play the video

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Your old drivers are slowing down your PC Driver Detective provides the most up-to-date drivers specific to your computer, including all major-brand OEMs (Dell, HP, Compaq, Toshiba, etc.) and generic brands. We access a database of over 9.2 million device-associated drivers — the largest driver update database on the Internet. Driver Detective saves you endless hours of work and aggravation normally associated with updating drivers. Driver Detective

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TOP STORY By Woody Leonhard Some versions of Windows 7 worth it, others not The big decision is Win7 Home Premium vs. Pro Make the move from 32-bit Vista to 64-bit Win7 Addressing readers' Windows 7 questions KNOWN ISSUES By Dennis O'Reilly Readers suggest ways to improve OpenDNS Microsoft's Win7 upgrade promo shut down early New York takes action against contact scrapers WACKY WEB WEEK By Stephanie Small Too busy to eat? Try this bag on for size

	LANGALIST PLUS By Fred Langa How to fix "slow script" errors in your browser IE chokes when attempting to run a script Feedback on "Win7 in a virtual machine" Downgrade to XP causes sign-in weirdness Are all solid-state drives short-lived?
	IN THE WILD By Brian Livingston Zero-day vulnerability in Office Web Components Hacked spreadsheets on sites can infect IE users Make IE invulnerable to silent sheet attacks
	PATCH WATCH By Susan Bradley Killbit update requires Fix-it undo for XP PCs The early bird doesn't get the XP patch Plan carefully for Office Web Component killbit Firefox 3.5 zero-day flaw doesn't affect Win7 Long-awaited DirectShow patch finally arrives Web fonts could lead to drive-by malware Office 2007 SP2 and MS09-027 patches cause woe Microsoft Publisher 2007 SP1 at risk Is the PowerPoint Viewer out-of-date or not? Windows Security Center is giving bogus warnings

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