Steve Ballmer’s said Microsoft will release high-end, higher-priced versions of Office and Windows starting with the next release (CNET News.com). Windows XP is an example of a “premium” version. There will also be an Enterprise edition released at some point (I’ve lost count of the number of Windows versions that might be available). Ballmer didn’t mention what features would be included in the premium versions.
There’s apparently an “Office Server that carries with it an additional fee for each computer that accesses the productivity software”. That would really allow Office to be a subscription service. In addition to the Office server, Ballmer’s said “we have servers people haven’t even written rumors about.”
I wonder, does the 64-bit version count as a “premium” edition?