Windows 8.1 choices.
Windows 8.1 choices.
It looks like you're questioning whether a professional operating system is just a marketing trick for extra money.
In recent years, many new users chose Windows 7 Ultimate thinking it offered advantages, but it actually contained numerous complexities they weren't familiar with. These issues could degrade system performance over time and often came with higher costs.
I summarize your ideas clearly. You’re ready to share this with your friend.
It's very likely it was done before, but with SP1 the restriction was taken away.
The paged pool was updated with the service pack, offering faster memory access. These adjustments had minimal impact overall. My regret is that Windows 8 Pro should be purchased only under specific circumstances: either advanced networking features are needed or a special deal applies.