Sadly it's proudly wrong table. This is the correct one: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Windows_7_editions#Comparison_chart The choices that you should look at is Home Premium or Professional edition. Starter edition, you can't buy it.. it's for select OEM's for netbook under stick guidelines (has less then 2GB of RAM, under 2GHz CPU, and so on), a sit's a virtually free Windows to OEMs so that they can sell a Windows netbook at the same price as Linux base ones. Home Basic is ONLY available to emerging markets only. Enterprise edition IS Ultimate edition but that is if you buy them large quantities (100+). And Ultimate edition is simply not worth it.
Why are you interested in Home basic? You can't even buy it! Windows Media Player is included. Please see the table I presented.
I look at the technical requirement for most of the software that I used from browser, flash, a/v, firewall, pdf, java, malware, most support 64bit. But 1 or 2 that run on 32bit. What do I do?
64bit versions of windows have a 64bit browser & a 32bit browser. As I said before 64bit windows also supports 32bit apps
I've read somewhere that software is not a problem for 64bit but driver for hardware is. I am worried that theres little support from hardware manufacturer for 64bit driver.
Complete rubbish, every piece of hardware released for years has full support for 64bit and ANY driver that is listed as windows 7 compatible has to have a 64bit driver.
Every hardware, device that requires some sort driver (automatically installed by the device, or not), that has "Windows 7 compatible" sticker, means that the company provide complete and full support for both 32 and 64-bit drivers for Windows 7, else they apparently lose the right to use that sticker, and Microsoft doesn't digital sign the drivers, but approves it. Meaning that the user will be prompted with a dialog box saying that "this driver may corrupt your system" do you want to allow the driver to install? (which is a BIG NO for anyone. I mean would you install a driver that Windows prompt you that the driver maybe a big malware?!). Microsoft did this, as it was sick and tired that Vista 32-bit was used instead of Vista 64-bit. Technically speaking, Microsoft was expecting that Vista 32-bit be as popular as Windows XP Professional 64-bit Edition.. barely used. Yet, the contrary happened (and Vista bad press really did not help). 64-bit OS is very widely used today, and is considered very critical by good reviews sites and magazines of products. Vista made 64-bit introduction for everyone, Windows 7 does the transition, and Windows 8 will be 64-bit flavor exclusive. A product without a 64-bit driver since 2006 is considered abysmal without proper 64-bit support no mater what the device does. If this is not the case, check the date of the review, product release and if it's new and got good review, than change review site/magazine. Reviews are supposed to be computer enthusiasts (well for computers), and most of the case their is now a zero-tolerance for non 64-bit support. Companies don't dare to not support 64-bit OS. An example was HP and Creative which lost a great amount of sales because their stubbornness into supporting Windows 64-bit (even lawsuits, on the case of Creative). Even if most users still use 32-bit operating system (Windows XP), they still want 64-bit for that day they change OS, their device work. Now, OEM's (Dell, HP (ironically), Acer, etc..) provides 64-bit Windows 7 as default OS, even for retail stores laptops, no mater the RAM amount that comes with it (provided that the CPU is of an x64 architecture, of course).
Thank guys for very positive response. I ask because my Asus motherboard M4A77TD PRO is not the latest motherboard for AMD CPU so I'm quite concern with driver support issue to 64bit.
You see my computer... I am on Socket 939, this is much older than your computer. And I run Windows 7 just fine. I use Windows 7 built-in drivers for my motherboard, and my system works great!
Wow GOOODBYTES, I've read fro ASUS Forum someone with the same motherboard face a problem with audio when playing games. Here the link http://vip.asus.com/forum/view.aspx?id=20091223214544312&board_id=1&model=M4A77TD+PRO&page=1&SLanguage=en-us
