Differences between Windows RC, RTM, OEM, RTL, and Vol editions

Original: http://www.metsky.com/archives/67.html

When you install the Windows operating system (Windows XP, Windows VISTA, Windows 7), you often encounter a suffix behind the operating system name, such as Windows RC, CTP, RTM, OEM, Retail, vol, and so on. What do these versions specifically mean, the days of the blog on the list to compare a bit.

Windows version number identifies the difference list:

Alpha version
The internal beta version, which is generally not released externally, will have a lot of bugs for testers only, and if you see the alpha version, it might be a bad news for Microsoft.

Beta version
is also beta, after the introduction of alpha, this phase of the version will continue to add new features, changes will be larger, will also be market-oriented testing.

RC Version
Releasecandidate
Test candidate version, WINDOWS RC version will no longer add new features, the main test software bugs within. Activation is required.

RTM version
Release to manufacture or resin Transfer molding
It is the same as the official version, but the RTM version also divides the limited edition and the evaluation version again in time. Market verification is done again. The Day Edge Blog reminds you that the RTM version is also required for activation to be used.

Eval version
Evaluation
Similar to the evaluation version, there is no difference between the features and the retail version and requires activation.

CTP version
Community Test Preview
Community Test Trial Version

OEM version
Original Equipment Manufacturer
Computer manufacturers random version, only with the computer one-on-one shipment, can not be retail separately.  Only the new installation can not be upgraded from the old operating system, packaging is not as beautiful as the retail version (anyway, the random sub-packaging, wearing a better also useless *_*), usually only one side CD and the use of licensing instructions. For example, Lenovo, Dell and other Windows operating system for sale of computers are generally.
The OEM version generally does not require activation.

RTL version
Retail
Official Retail edition for retail sale on the market.
In addition, in the I386 folder of the installation disk there is a eula.txt file, and finally a line eulaid, is your version identity.
The official version of Simplified Chinese is eulaid:wx.4_pro_rtl_cn;
The official version of Traditional Chinese is wx.4_pro_rtl_tw;
which
WX. Beginning is the official version, WB. Start with beta;
_pre represents the Family edition, _pro represents the Professional edition;
Genuine retail versions are generally required for activation.

Vol Edition
Volume OR Volume Licensing for organizations
Translation is the organization of Group volume Licensing, that is, large client version, such as ZF department, large business organizations, such as the unified purchase is generally large customer version, generally based on the number of purchases can be subdivided into open License (open License), selective license (select License), 5 versions of the Enterprise License Agreement (Enterprises Agreement), Educational Research license (academic Volume Licensing), the vol version of Windows is not required to be activated, according to the Vol version plan.

Supplement: There is also a common version of the tail VLK, and VLK is not a standalone version identifier. VLK full name is Volume Licensing key, refers to the Vol version (the table) in the deployment (deploy) required Key, and can only be used in the Vol version. According to the license agreement, the retail version of Windows XP key key can only be used on a single PC, while the Vol version of XP can be used for multiple PCs simultaneously. Another important difference is that the retail version of Windows XP needs to be activated, while the Vol version of XP is not required.

Windows operating System functional classification Division

Windows release release whether XP and Vista or Windows 7 overall functionality is generally divided into family home version and commercial Business edition of two large categories.

Family (home) will generally also be divided into the primary version (Starter), the basic version (Basic), the enhanced version (Premium), the ultimate version or the final version (Ultimate);

Commercial (business) will also be divided into Small Business Edition (Small Business), the standard commercial edition (Edition), Enterprise Edition (enterprises), etc.

In addition, there may be some customized special editions in the commercial version, such as Business N. The above two main classification versions are for the market fine and divided, the overall family version of emphasis on entertainment, commercial version of emphasis on the application. Technically speaking, in addition to the other versions of the customization is not much different, the core code is all the same, just a slight deletion or modification of the function module. The result of market segmentation is the price difference, because to make money.

Again this era of piracy, installed in the Enterprise version is absolutely right, all of the features have even if not patched or optimized can become "any version", Understanding as long as you think about Microsoft if only a version of the code to write a long time to go bankrupt.