I was recently asked which version of Windows I would recommend deploying on the system. They point to the various Windows editions available, including Enterprise SKUs, Windows 10 Pro, and Windows 10 Home. For most small to medium business (SMB) and home users, I recommend Windows 10 or 11 Pro, which you can upgrade to even if you originally purchased Windows 10 or 11 Home. Professional gives you more control over updates and exposes local group policies so you can control more items in the operating system.

Another point is to make sure that the computer you buy has the correct hardware. In particular, that means having a solid-state drive (SSD).

The other day I helped someone install a new computer with Windows 11 and realized again the importance of having an SSD. After booting, the mechanical hard disk of the computer is fixed at 100% disk usage, and the system is basically unusable. I opened Device Manager and confirmed my suspicions: the drive was not a solid state drive. I let the system wait a while - a long time - until the disk utilization reaches a reasonable level. While the laptop has plenty of RAM, it apparently doesn't have a hard drive suitable for Windows 11 (or even Windows 10).

Another problem with buying PCs now is supply chain constraints. Some businesses have to buy any version of the hardware and then upgrade.

Most likely, you'll only be able to find systems with Windows 11 Home in the store, not Windows 10. While Windows 11 is still in development, it can be tamed by using third-party tools like Start11, which restores the menu system to what it was in Windows 10. If you decide to keep the centered Windows 11 menu system, be aware that Microsoft is making more changes to the Start menu system and Task Manager in response to feedback. After purchasing Windows 11 Home, you can easily purchase an upgrade to Windows 11 Pro, which makes delaying feature releases, pausing updates, and setting update settings easier than having to use registry keys or other workarounds.

If you deploy Windows 11 as an SMB or home office, you may run into issues with older hardware, such as home NAS devices that rely on SMB version 1 file shares. In the future, Windows 11 will disable SMBv1, which means you may need to ditch your old (potentially unsupported now) NAS devices, or find a way to keep them using SMBv2 or SMBv3. My suggestion: Find a community forum for your NAS device and you should get better advice on whether to retire the old system or remove it from the network.

If you are a small business with 300 users or less and need a license for the Office suite, I recommend you consider Microsoft Business Premium. It includes the latest version of Office Managed Email and, best of all, several tools for extra protection and support. In particular, it includes Azure AD p1, which allows you to set up conditional access based on device status or location and group. (This helps set policies for multi-factor authentication, which kicks in when someone logs in from a dangerous location or performs a dangerous action.) It includes Defender for Business, an endpoint detection and remediation tool that extends Microsoft Defender's defenses Virus software which actually tracks actions on the workstation and alerts you to any malicious activity.

In addition, it provides actionable tasks to improve network security, such as ensuring third-party software on my network is patched and enabling Attack Surface Reduction (ASR) rules. ASR can provide additional protection for the network, making your system more resistant to attacks. If you are a company with more than 300 users, Microsoft offers two additional enterprise licenses, E3 or E5. These versions offer more security features. You can purchase operating system licenses separately or together with Microsoft 365 Licensing Suite for extra protection for the office.

Again: choosing the best version of Windows will depend on what extra security features you want. Once the hardware is installed, it is often easy to upgrade or downgrade to the version of Windows that best suits your needs. But upgrading hardware isn't always easy, and buying the wrong laptop or PC can leave your computing experience unsatisfactory. So before you get too excited about the version of Windows you want, choose the best hardware you can get your hands on. Then you can run any version of Windows 10 or 11 you want.

Shanghai Senior Role has been focusing on one-stop IT outsourcing business, IT system integration services, and IT operation and maintenance management services for decades.