Windows 8 (CORE)

- Windows 8 is the basic edition of Windows for the x86 and x86-64 architectures. This edition contains features aimed at the home market segment and provides all of the basic new, Windows 8 features including the Start screen with semantic zoom, live tiles, Windows Store, Internet Explorer 10, connected standby, Microsoft account integration, the Windows desktop, and more.

Windows 8 Pro

- Windows 8 Pro succeeds Windows 7 Professional and Ultimate and is targeted towards enthusiasts and business users; it includes all the features of Windows 8. Additional features include operating as a Remote Desktop server, the ability to participate in a Windows Server domain, Encrypting File System, Hyper-V, and Virtual Hard Disk Booting, Group Policy as well as BitLocker and BitLocker To Go. Windows Media Center functionality will be available only for Windows 8 Pro, as a free "add-on."

Windows 8 Enterprise
- Windows 8 Enterprise provides all the features in Windows 8 Pro, with additional features to assist with IT organization (see table below). This edition is only available to Software Assurance customers and was released on August 16, 2012.

Windows RT
- Windows RT will only be available pre-installed on ARM-based devices such as tablet PCs, and was named for the Windows Runtime (WinRT) development platform that Microsoft is introducing in Windows 8. It will include touch-optimized desktop versions of the basic set of Office 2013 applications to users Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and OneNote, and support device encryption capabilities. Several business-focused features such as Group Policy and domain support are not included.

Windows 8 "N" Versions
- The Windows 8 "N" version is an edition which does not include a bundled copy of Windows Media Player. Microsoft was forced to create the special "N" editions of Windows after the European Commission ruled in 2004 that it needed to provide a copy of Windows without Windows Media Player tied in.

Windows 8 VL (Volume license) version
- Windows 8 VL version are an edition which can use MAK (Multiple Activation Key) to activate.