Updated: July 9, 2020 (February 20, 2012)

Windows Family Taxonomy

Michael analyzed and wrote about Microsoft's operating systems, including the Windows client OS, as well as compliance and governance. Michael... more

Windows family members differ on core OS code, processor architectures, APIs, and other factors. Although most of the family shares a common heritage, and in some cases, significant shared code, customers have to decide which family member best suits their requirements when buying a Windows-powered PC, server, or device.

The Windows Family	Current Version	Processor Architecture	Derived From	API Support	Office Support	Desktop Support	Virtualization
Windows on ARM (WOA)	Windows 8 limited preview	ARM chipsets	Windows 7	WinRT	Word, Excel, PowerPoint, OneNote	Intrinsic Windows capabilities (Internet Explorer, Windows File Explorer)	No
Windows Client x86	Windows 7	x86	Windows Vista	Win32, .NET Framework, Silverlight	Full	Full	No
Windows Client x64	Windows 7	x64	Windows Vista	Win32, .NET Framework, Silverlight	Full	Full	Virtual

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