When it comes to the Windows 7 product lineup, I've got good news and bad news. The bad news is that Microsoft is once again burdening its customers with a large and unnecessary mix of product editions. The good news? It's a lot simpler than it was with Windows Vista. No, really.

In the good old days of course--I'm referring to 2001 or so--Microsoft made two versions of Windows, one for consumers and one for businesses. These products had different names over the years, and for a while the consumer line was defined by the buggy and ancient DOS-based Windows versions on which Microsoft rode to fame and fortune. This mix of Windows products was many things. But overall, it was simple.