Which Edition of Windows 8 Should I Buy?

The answer depends on how you plan to use Windows 8. If you are a casual user who needs to browse the web, use productivity applications, play games, watch movies, and view pic- tures, then the basic Windows 8 edition will work just fine.

If you are a more knowledgeable user who wants to use more advanced features such as BitLocker encryption or make Remote Desktop connections to your computer, Windows 8 Pro is a good choice. For small businesses that don’t need an expensive enterprise version, the Windows 8 Pro edition is a very good choice.

The next question worth clarifying is: 32-bit or 64-bit? If you plan to use Windows 8 on an older computer with less than 4 GB of RAM, the 32-bit edition works just fine.

However, on newer computers, you should always use the 64-bit edition. You get a bit more performance and security, but most importantly, you get support for large amounts of  RAM. The 32-bit version cannot manage more than 34 GB of RAM memory. If you plan to use more than that (such as for playing games), you should use the 64-bit edition.