Windows 7 nears general availability

Jason Mick (Blog) - July 3, 2009 9:45 AM
DailyTech

The year's most highly anticipated software release, Windows 7, is just around the corner.  Microsoft recently announced that the new OS would see general availability (consumer sales) on October 22.  In preparation for that, it recently began its termination of the beta program,encouraging users to install the Release Candidate build which will be available until August.

A bevy of Windows blogs including Neowin.net, GeekSmack.net, and Wzor report that the final "gold" build of Windows 7 will occur on July 10 and the OS will see a release-to-manufacturing on July 13.  Release to manufacturing builds are typically identical to general availability builds for major software releases.  However, if a major bug is encountered, its possible the consumer release could feature something new.  

The main purpose of the RTM build will be to give hardware manufacturers more time to tweak their drivers with a working "final" version of Windows 7.  The release of the build will coincide with the kickoff of Microsoft's Worldwide Partner Conference (WWPC) set to kick off in New Orleans.   [Comments...]

From Wired:

It’s the most secure distribution version of Windows XP ever produced by Microsoft: More than 600 settings are locked down tight, and critical security patches can be installed in an average of 72 hours instead of 57 days.  The only problem is, you have to join the Air Force to get it.

The trial version of Microsoft's next operating system has entered its expiration phase.

By Paul McDougall
InformationWeek
July 1, 2009 08:12 AM

Microsoft on Wednesday started the expiration process for the beta version of its Windows 7 operating system.Beginning today, users that are still running the trial version of the company's next OS will see it shut down every two hours.

The interruptions are designed to encourage early adopters to move to Windows 7 Release Candidate, a more polished preview version of Vista's successor.
"If you're still on the Windows 7 Beta you should certainly look at giving the Windows 7 RC at try!" Microsoft's Brandon LeBlanc wrote in a recent blog post....[Comments...]

 Microsoft's new Windows 7 Option Upgrade Program isn't much of an option for corporate users and could end up adding thousands of dollars to the cost of migrating to the new operating system for those who blindly jump at Thursday's offer of a free upgrade for new PC buyers.

John Fontana, Network World/PC World

The issue is that the Option Upgrade Program only applies to 25 PCs per "physical address" and that limitation likely leaves corporate PC buyers out of the market until October 22 when Windows 7 officially ships.

 Gartner analyst Michael Silver says users who buy new PCs now and don't get a free upgrade will find down the road they have to spend upwards of $150 per PC to get to Windows 7. "That is a pretty significant percentage of what they're paying for those PCs to begin with."   [Comments...]

From BBC:

European buyers of Windows 7 will have to download and install a web browser for themselves.

Bowing to European competition rules, Microsoft Windows 7 will ship without Internet Explorer.