Which version of Windows 7 for .NET Developers

I'm looking to upgrade my laptop from Windows Vista to Windows 7. As a .NET developer I'm not interested in developing Windows 7 components at this stage, but was curious which version would suffice to Install Visual Studio/SQL 开发者_如何学运维Server and do some web development testing against the local instance of IIS.

I don't care too much about the superfluous features of any Windows 7 editions, I just need to know which one will keep me right for running apps and writing some code.

Also, does Windows 7 force the "run as administrator" against VS?

Any recommendations?

If your hardware supports it; x64 is really the way to go (improved compile time, much higher maximum ram). RAM is awfully cheap these days and if you end up running Windows7 for a few years; it's very likely that you'll enjoy the benefit of 8+gigs of RAM.

I was unable to find a Windows 7 32bit vs. 64bit benchmark - but here is one for Vista.

http://64-bit-computers.com/windows-vista-32-bit-vs-64-bit-benchmark.html

The 64-bit does outperform the 32-bit OS.

Beyond that, the differences are pretty superficial for your needs. At least, from what you've posted. Take a look below and see if anything is a must have. Each progressive version includes all of the features of the earlier ones - of if you really, really want Windows 7's encrypting file system - You can go with Professional or anything higher.

Below is a quick summary...

Windows 7 Home Premium

• Aero Glass & advanced Window navigation
• Windows Touch (Multi-touch and handwriting support) Video demo, More here
• Windows Media Center
• Internet Explorer 8: Web slices, accelerators, InPrivate Browsing

Windows 7 Professional

• Domain Join (Step-By-Step Guide)
• Group Policy Controls (More)
• Location Aware Printing
• Encrypting File System
• Advanced Backup (First Look)
• Offline Folders (more)
• transparent caching, background sync for offline files
• Remote Desktop Host (More)
• Windows Mobility Center: Presentation Mode

Windows 7 Enterprise

• DirectAccess keeps mobile users connected on the go
• BranchCache makes file access faster (TechNet description)
• Search information on the PC, mail or SharePoint
• BitLocker protects data on a PC and portable drives
• AppLocker lets you control what user’s can run
• Virtual Desktop Infrastructure made better

Any version would suffice your requirement. Then you need to consider only the cost. :)

You can refer to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Windows_7_editions for detail difference among Win7 editions.

As of the question which one is sufficent for your development work, I think it depends. For example, If you need to develop Aero releated functionality, clearly you cannot use Win7 Home Basic.

I have use Win7 for a while, and my general experience is that the Home Premium should be good enough for almost all kinds of development work if you do not need to have your workstation in a domain. Otherwise a professional version is what you should choose.

what ever version of windows 7 you get, remember this, before you install visual studio, install sqlserver first, this tip will save you a big headache...

I have to format my computer twice, before I get a hold of it...the first thing you install is sql server and then visual studio.

Hope it helps to prevent a future headache.

Cheers

I do not think it matters much as long as you do not have the Windows 7 "Basic" version and the hardware meets (or even better to exceed) the recommended requirements.

At least a professional version. Personally I dont see much point of going for the 64bit version. It just uses more memory to run and even newer version of VS2010 is not going to have support for 64bit in its initial launch. So if you just want a reliable work horse, stick with 32bit

Find the comparison here http://www.microsoft.com/windows/windows-7/compare/default.aspx