What's the difference between Window Brands?

The windows represent a significant expense in the construction of any part of your home.
I divide windows very simply into 2 groups:

Bad...Good...

A BAD window will draft, allowing air to blow through the joints...a GOOD window will not.
A Bad window will not function well. It will be difficult to open, close, & clean the outside.
It's parts will tend to break with use, while a GOOD window will handle well, operate smoothly, often have a tilt-wash feature to make cleaning the exterior easy, and it's parts will hold up for a very long time under heavy use.

A step up from a GOOD window is a window with added style.

I understand that a window represents a major cost factor in any remodel project,
but the $ you save on a window is insignificant when compared to the $ you will lose in additional heating costs to overcome the window's poor performance.
It is extremely frustrating to build a new room and then need to seal up your brand new windows because they draft! When you add up the cost of heating and now the additional cost of window sealing, you will realize that the choice of a poor window was not a good one.

The difference in cost between a BAD window and a GOOD window could be as high as 60%, but when you weigh the long term results, it is best to save the budget somewhere else in the project and put the money into the windows.

Good Windows: Alside, Andersen 400
Windows with more style choice: Pella, Marvin