Microsoft Windows 10 is available in 12 editions, each with different features and suitable for various devices. One of the most popular operating systems is Windows 10 Pro. There is also Windows 10 Pro N. Windows 10 Pro vs. Pro N — what are the differences?

Read on to learn more about Windows 10 Pro and Pro N to decide what version suits your needs and preferences. It has been released in various versions to introduce tweaks and improvements depending on what the users need. Two of these versions are the Windows 10 Pro and Pro N.

The biggest difference between Windows 10 Pro and Pro N is the multimedia capabilities. Windows 10 Pro N is an exclusive version of the operating system in Europe. N means not with media player. It has all of the most important functions that are present in Windows 10 Pro except multimedia technologies. The anti-competitive practices of set by the European Commission prohibit Windows 10 Pro in Europe.

The antitrust law establishes healthy market competition by providing anti-competitive products. It provides users the freedom to choose. Plus, it opens the market to competition instead of a monopoly. By having built-in apps in the original version of Windows 10 Pro, Microsoft is forcing its users to use such programs.

This also provides Microsoft an unfair advantage by gaining a monopoly in the market. In turn, this limits the potential of other app vendors. To continue operating in the European market, Microsoft offers another version.

This version is the Windows 10 Pro N. It does not have the traditional multimedia functionalities, including Skype. While the multimedia features are not naturally present in the platform, you have the option to download them. All you have to do is visit the Microsoft Store and look for the specific apps you want to use. This is for people who have other preferences for multimedia applications instead of the ones Microsoft offers with Windows Windows 10 Pro is a step-up from Windows Home.

You can enjoy the features of the latter. More so, you can enjoy additional features and business tools, including the following:. With employees using their devices at work, there is a higher risk of data breaches.

The latter is common with the use of emails, social media, and the cloud. It protects enterprise information and prevents leaks while providing a seamless user experience. This is a built-in encryption program that provides a layer of protection to the users. It is a proprietary and user-friendly program that prevents changes without the necessary permissions.

Microsoft claims it has no backdoors, ensuring that it is safe even if it is a closed-door application. With this feature, users can work from almost anywhere. It allows virtual access to the files that you have on your computer, even without physical access to the latter. If you are thinking of installing Windows 10 Pro, make sure that you meet the following minimum system requirements:. Looking for compelling reasons to download Windows 10 Pro? Below are some of the benefits that are worth highlighting:.

This feature adds a layer of security, minimizing the chances of unauthorized access to private files. Aside from using a password, it requests another code through a call, text, or Microsoft Authenticator. Microsoft makes sure that using this program is as seamless as possible. User experience is top-notch.

You can save time through the single log-in feature across multiple devices. Using Windows 10 Pro is not exclusive to computers. You can use it on compatible mobile devices and expect the same notable features.

This means that there is no built-in feature for the following:. You can still use such features, but you have to download separate apps. You can do this in Microsoft Store or any of its competitors. Below are some of the most useful features that you can enjoy with the Windows 10 Pro N, which are also available in Windows 10 Pro:. One of the most important Windows productivity tools will let you use your mobile phone as a computer. It provides a continuous experience from PC to mobile. Windows 10 Pro N is not just for business.

It is also good for gaming, and this feature is one of its highlights. It will allow you to record your best moves and show them off to your friends. This is one feature that will simplify the user experience while also ensuring security. It allows users to sign in on their account remotely, even without accessing their computer personally.

As we have earlier noted, the biggest difference between Windows 10 Pro N vs. Pro is that the former does not have multimedia capabilities. Below are some of the specific features that are missing:. A media library and player, it is for playing audio and video and viewing pictures. Newer versions also allow ripping and copying music. It will allow you to store your favorite TV and movie shows in one account. They are accessible remotely on different devices. All that you need to do is to log in to your account.

You will need to download the content from Microsoft Store. From lectures to interviews, this will allow recording that you can access through an audio file. Aside from recording, it also allows editing of the files. You can also trim, rename, and share the recordings. This is one of the biggest apps that is not pre-installed in Windows 10 Pro N, but you can download it as an add-on. It is a personal and business communication tool for free calls and chats. If you have Windows 10 Pro N, you can download the missing multimedia apps.

However, if you do not like the Microsoft programs, you can also consider different alternatives:. This is the best version for most users.

It is a version that targets education users, especially those with low-end devices. This version streamlines security and performance. It is built for large businesses, offering features like state-of-the-art security.

You can enjoy easy deployment and exceptional security. It has almost the same features as the former option, except that Microsoft optimizes it for mobile use. Windows 10 Pro is a global version that comes with built-in multimedia functionalities. On the other hand, Windows 10 Pro N is a European version that seeks to prevent monopoly. Moreover, it does not have multimedia functionalities, including Windows Media Player and Skype. The European Commission ruled that Microsoft should not have a monopoly of the market.

While Windows Pro N does not have built-in media apps, you can download them if you wish. You can get these apps straight from the Microsoft Store. More so, if you want another version, then you can download it from other vendors.

Alternatives to Vistaprint [20 Vistaprint Competitors to Choose]. Skip to content Microsoft Windows 10 is available in 12 editions, each with different features and suitable for various devices. Windows 10 Pro Vs. More so, you can enjoy additional features and business tools, including the following: Windows Information Protection With employees using their devices at work, there is a higher risk of data breaches.

BitLocker This is a built-in encryption program that provides a layer of protection to the users. Remote Desktop With this feature, users can work from almost anywhere. Below are some of the benefits that are worth highlighting: Secure Multifactor Authentication This feature adds a layer of security, minimizing the chances of unauthorized access to private files.

Seamless Interface Microsoft makes sure that using this program is as seamless as possible. This means that there is no built-in feature for the following: Playing CDs, Making video calls, Streaming music, and Storing media files. Below are some of the most useful features that you can enjoy with the Windows 10 Pro N, which are also available in Windows 10 Pro: Continuum One of the most important Windows productivity tools will let you use your mobile phone as a computer.

Remote Log-In This is one feature that will simplify the user experience while also ensuring security. Below are some of the specific features that are missing: Windows Media Player A media library and player, it is for playing audio and video and viewing pictures. Voice Recorder From lectures to interviews, this will allow recording that you can access through an audio file.

 
 

 

Windows 10 Pro Vs Pro N: What’s The Difference Between Them – Windows 10 Pro vs Pro N: Review

 

While many of the extra features of Windows 10 Pro are clearly designed for business use, like group policy management and domain binding, there are other features that an enthusiast might not be able to live without. Here’s a breakdown of the most useful features that you get with Windows 10 Pro, as well as free alternatives, when applicable. You could also try RDP Wrapper as a free alternative.

Bitlocker provides full disk encryption so you can keep your data safe from hackers. The latest iteration of Bitlocker also allows for the encryption of individual files for more flexibility than the all-or-nothing approach of previous versions.

Again, other software can accomplish similar encryption, but it’s not built into the OS. Be sure to get an SSD or HDD even that supports the necessary hardware acceleration for Bitlocker if you don’t want to lose performance. Trusted Boot protects your PC from rootkits and works in conjunction with Secure Boot to help keep your system malware free and in your control by checking every component of the startup process before loading it.

Normally, we’d just say don’t run any suspicious files, but some people are curious. Does that anonymous download that claims to fix performance actually work? Or is it malware masquerading as a useful program? You could install a virtualization solution and run the program in a sandbox so it won’t actually cause harm, or if you have Windows Pro you get that feature as part of the OS.

Hyper-V is a Windows-only hypervisor used for running virtual machines on CPUs that support virtualization. If you plan on running VMs, this feature might be worth the cost of Pro, but if virtualization is all you need, there are free products like Virtualbox that offer more features and work with multiple operating systems. While Hyper-V is included with your Windows 10 Pro license, it needs to be downloaded and installed separately. Normally, we’d just say don’t run any suspicious files, but some people are curious.

Does that anonymous download that claims to fix performance actually work? Or is it malware masquerading as a useful program?

You could install a virtualization solution and run the program in a sandbox so it won’t actually cause harm, or if you have Windows Pro you get that feature as part of the OS. Hyper-V is a Windows-only hypervisor used for running virtual machines on CPUs that support virtualization. If you plan on running VMs, this feature might be worth the cost of Pro, but if virtualization is all you need, there are free products like Virtualbox that offer more features and work with multiple operating systems.

While Hyper-V is included with your Windows 10 Pro license, it needs to be downloaded and installed separately. Aside from the above features, there are some other differences between the two versions of Windows. Other features like group policy management, Assigned Access, and the ability to join a domain are unlikely to be very useful outside of the workplace. Assigned Access allows an admin to lock down Windows and allow access to only one app under a specified user account. Group Policy meanwhile allows you to restrict access to any number of Windows features and configure any setting within the operating system.

Windows Update for Business allows an admin to control when a system is updated and defer updates that may cause incompatibilities with legacy software or impact the business in some other way.

For the majority of users, Windows 10 Home edition will suffice. If you use your PC strictly for gaming, there is no benefit to stepping up to Pro.

The additional functionality of the Pro version is heavily focused on business and security, even for power users. With free alternatives available for many of these features, Home edition is very likely to provide everything you need. Sign up to get the best content of the week, and great gaming deals, as picked by the editors.

 
 

Windows Pro vs. Enterprise: A Comparison | Lakeside.

 
 

You can follow the question or vote as helpful, but you cannot reply to this thread. I have the same question Report abuse.

Details required :. Cancel Submit. SonGoku’sSon Independent Advisor. Hello Martin! Unfortunately they are for different regions of the world and are not compatible. Hope I could be of assistance. New IDC, Lakeside white paper explores how a focus on digital employee experience can be a competitive edge. But before investing time, personnel, and equipment to deploying the latest OS version, tech leaders need to decide on the right fit for their organizations. When comparing Windows 10 vs.

Windows 11 , however, users will notice:. Before planning a migration, IT administrators will have to verify that devices meet the minimum hardware requirements and choose among the different editions of the operating system.

But what about the key differences between Windows 11 Pro and Windows 11 Enterprise — two popular business-oriented editions? Here are a few things to consider when comparing Windows Pro vs. Enterprise :. The main difference among Windows editions is the number of features that come with the platform. Some editions have extra features targeting specific use cases. For example:. When migrating to any new operating system or license tier, there are some vital questions to answer:.

The problem is finding the right answers quickly and efficiently to avoid deployment complications, unnecessary costs, and other headaches. Have recently built a couple of servers with Windows 10 pro and wanted to try Windows 10 pro N to see how it differs. I have however discovered that a normal Windows 10 pro license doesn’t work with Windows 10 Pro N. Windows 10 now is the most popular operating system OS of Microsoft Windows. More and more users chose to update their OS to Windows 10 from previous version due to multiple reasons, like end of support.

Windows 10 Pro seems to be the most popular one among the twelve editions provided by Microsoft.