Will Windows 7 make things any easier? Yes, says Paul Thurrott, who's heard about Microsoft's plans for Windows 7 editions straight from the horse's mouth. Here's the list of Windows 7 editions and their major features, based on Thurrott's descriptions:

Windows 7 Starter - stripped down version for new PCs only; can only run three applications at once.
Windows 7 Home Premium - includes Aero Glass, Mobility Center, Media Center, multi-touch support, DVD authoring.
Windows 7 Professional - includes all of the Home Premium features plus Remote Desktop hosting, domain joining, file-system encryption (EFS), location-aware printing, offline folders, and a presentation mode.
Windows 7 Enterprise - for volume-license customers only. Includes all of the Professional features plus DirectAccess, BranchCache, AppLocker, and BitLocker.
Windows 7 Ultimate - includes all of the Enterprise features, minus the volume-licensing requirement.

According to Thurrott, Microsoft doesn't plan to put many marketing dollars behind Windows 7 Ultimate, and the edition will be available "via occasional promotions and offers from both PC makers and retailers." That leaves only two retail editions folks should really worry about: Home Premium and Professional. Having only two major retail editions essentially brings Microsoft back to the Windows XP days....good.