Microsoft’s newest version of its operating system, Windows 7, is finally in the release-to-manufacturing (RTM) stage, so the OS will soon be preloaded on new computers. Though not officially released yet, Windows 7 is expected to be a hit. For instance, after just eight hours on Amazon UK, Windows 7 pre-orders outpaced the total number of pre-orders for Vista over a period of 17 weeks.
According to Microsoft, Windows 7, which offers seven different versions of the OS, has undergone significant testing, quality assurance and validation required to get to the RTM stage. Independent software and hardware vendors will be able to download Windows 7 RTM as early as August 6th. Microsoft will be rolling out Windows 7 to other partners in mid to late August. Enterprise customers and developers will be able to download Windows 7 RTM in English starting on August 7, with additional language functionality for Windows 7 released shortly after.
For the plebes/consumers, Windows 7 will be in retail stores and shipping on new PCs starting October 22nd, which we already knew. After receiving an overwhelming response from beta testers, Microsoft is also offering a “family pack” for Windows 7 that will allow installation on up to 3 PCs. The company has also officially released the new version of Expression 3, the set of tools Microsoft offers for developers to build applications off of Silverlight.
Of course, the official RTM release of Windows 7 comes at a time when Microsoft’s stranglehold of the operating system is being challenged by the recent announcement of Google’s Chrome OS. Google is scheduled to release the open source code for Chrome OS later this year, which perhaps could conveniently fall around the October launch of Windows 7. The first Chrome OS computers won’t launch until next year. While Google says the Chrome OS is targeted towards netbooks at the moment, there is definite potential for Google’s OS to expand to the other types of computers, giving Microsoft something to mull over.
Before anyone starts to b***h about the number of version remember not all will be sold everywhere, therefore the masses will only have a choice of 2 or 3 which cause no problems.
Before anyone says stuff about Chrome OS wait and see how it is before being biased for or against it; none of us have seen and used it therefore nobody can give an opinions on how it will be and appear truthful.
What we are suppose to trust Microsoft after Vista from hell which actually did more to sell Apple than any of their commercials… Did they actually claim they tested Vista?
Does anyone else want to polish Stevey B’s head? Little turtle wax…
vista was built for modern hardware, not old junk.
You mean my quad core, 4GB machine built for Vista? No, it does not work well even on great hardware.
Same machine here, and Vista fucking flies. I reboot once a week just because I can.
if you’d quit going to nasty pron sites and downloading crapware, it would be just FINE! LOL
Wow, so if a Quad Core with 4gb of ram cannot run Vista. Then it can only be one or two of the following things
1.-You lying about Vista
2.-Your OS installation was defective from the start and it has tons of crapware, adware, malware and bots living in it.
3.-You got a incredibly serious hardware misconfiguration of some kind.
Because a Quad Core with 4GB of ram (even if 32 bits and DDR2) is enough for someone to have Windows 7 + XP Mode + A VMWARE OS X Leopard Workstation + Pubuntu Remix For Windows All running at once in a single session.
Vista has stupid services, disable them and WE are all done.
I run vista on a 512Mb (dual core 3.06Ghz) computer and it’s good and fast.
One problem when copying files, it takes more time than it should.
Win7 is a winner!
I agree.
Not only that, but it has awesome touch computing features that have hardly been discussed or realized. Prepare to hear the apple fanboys start whining in unison…
prepare your hardware! it needs new good machines.
But still always cheaper than any MAC.
This reminds me when Window’s ME came out and it was total garbage. Then came along XP which is their champion of OS’s.
bets on chrome o.s. to be way more intuitive.
Chrome OS is currently vaporware and based on the current information available is nothing more than a scaled down version of Linux that boots to a browser so you are forced to run only web based applications such as gMail, gCalendar gDocs, etc.
You probably shouldn’t comment anymore.
Google Chrome is good to navigate Google sites, open Gmail, Blogger and google docs.
What about (if it happens) and you want to play a game?
ok, go and borrow you neighbors’ Xbox
Already running Windows 7 on multiple computers, it’s good stuff.
ChromeOS is vaporware and always will be.
^^^^ THIS
I don’t know much about chrome OS (read: kromos), but I’m good with win7
Windows 7 is the best OS ever made. I expect a ton of hate over W7. The Empire Stuck Back.
I’m dual-booting Vista and Win 7 at the moment. Win 7 is like a revved-up XP when compared to any flavor of Vista but I still like XP the most; I spent years getting it tweaked out exactly the way I wanted it and lightning fast, whereas I still don’t know how to change the damn wallpaper in Win 7 (but I’ll get there, I suppose).
But XP’s combination of low resource usage (when properly tweaked out) and customizations is something I miss. I could reinstall XP if I could get the restore discs working – I’ve begun replacing failing ROM drives and still cannot get an XP restore disc to work (but I’ll get there, I suppose).
So I’ve got my pre-orders in for my upgrade DVDs of W7. Is there any legit way for me to install a copy of the Gold version, and register it with my upgrade reg code once it ships without having to do a re-install? I’m guessing not.
Windows 7 will be a hit because Vista is such a piece of shit people will be desperate for anything.
Moved to 3 Macbook Pro’s…………..
Look forward to it!
wow…summer really is in full swing…this piece, full of insight and analysis, is proof enough!! No rip and read’ here, oh no!
After a disastrous experience with Vista, I’m not particularly interested in trying Windows 7. Vista was so awful (from a user perspective) that it finally moved me to Linux – I’m now happily running Ubuntu 9.04, and I need to see a compelling reason to undo that move. “Hey, it’s not as bad as Vista” isn’t enough.
That’s OK, you’re not the target market of any commercial software product.
Tried Ubuntu, it’s more sh*t than Vista.
I got my network cable unplugged and Ubuntu kept blinking and asking to plug… I clicked “dismiss”, but this didn’t work… so I can’t work when there no network connection?
Would be fun to see how Windows 7 performs and if corporate customers are willing to drop Windows XP
I assure you, we are.
So the RTM build is 7600.16386?
super excited about win7 as well as chrome os. i tried win7 beta and sure was impressed with it. not sure how chrome os would shape up in coming months but its by google and they can deliver the unexpected. competition brings out the best for consumers. its fascinating to see ms come up with bing as well as office in the cloud and google come up with chrome os
I am and have been (since the original beta) perfectly happy with Vista. I tried Win7 and unless they get rid of Libraries and that awful taskbar design I won’t ever install it. Why upgrade to something with a horrible UI when what I have works perfect for me?
You do realize those are optional settings that can be easily disabled just by right-clicking on the taskbar? Select properties, and then turn it back to the old way if you prefer it. No one is forcing you to use the newer interface.
I have been using Win 7 for a couple of weeks now and it’s definitely a big winner in terms of user experience.
7 versions? Fail!
You’ll only see Home Premium and Ultimate on the store shelf, same as the past 4 years.
Why not suggest something like Ubuntu is a thread versus something that is still yet to be released and have a significant impact. I’m excited about chrome as well, but you just sound foolish.
Because Ubuntu is not news.
Because the article is talking about an OS that almost the entire world uses, not something that less than 1% use.
Heard great things about Win7. Basically, aggregate all Vista reviews, invert that, and that’s what I’ve heard about Win7. MS is on a tear this year – Bing, Win7, Free online Office… watch out.
I’ve been using WIN7 for about 4 months now and definitely my favorite version of Windows I’ve used (even better than 3.11 !!)
Ahhh…3.11
Those were the days weren’t they?
My introduction to the intertubes was 3.11 on a 486 laptop with AOL dialup.
It was better then the Osborne…
better than 3.1, may be…
but better than win95 I don’t think.
I remember I had some data I always move, win3.1 take around 1 hour, Win95 took only 20 minutes: Same machines and config.
It was fast and good; I was flying with it.. If just MSFT build something like it
Come on August 6th!
thats a grt news .. I have used its beta version .. it is col and nice .. very clear … hmm can say it is improvised version of Ms windows vista ..
Cheers
Daina
That a great news for me, I waiting for this new SO
i am using win rc1 as my default os now . hope some one will come up with a crack to unlock it after it expires
*win 7 rc1
Just bought a new Lenovo portable and after starting up it was running XP.
Will windows launch some campaign to give away some free CD’s to its users?
you are better on some kind of free version?
Microsoft is using the tried-and-true strategy of the saw blade, in which a good product is followed by another one that sucks and users then jump all over themselves when the product just after that is as least as good as the one before. They do that for detergents by launching one to great fanfare, then diluting the formula and then making another one that is slightly better than the original.
Who’s ready for Microsoft’s next huge embarrassing failure? And you get to pay for the “upgrade” too! Their “brilliant” marketing will make this even more exciting to watch. How will they try to copy or counter Apple this time?
Microsoft has been busy cleaning up their mess and creating a band-aid version of their operating system which users have to pay for, while Apple has been busy creating new products and providing FREE upgrades to their already strong operating system.
As far as I am aware, my Windows XP has from the start, to even the present, received countless free updates.
OSX was a NEW operating system as opposed to the existing (and severely aging) MacOS. Do you honestly believe that if Apple came with a NEW operating system (OS Y?), e.g. one that replaces OS X, that you would get it for free?
If so, I have a map for sale (starting at a mere $149) on eBay that shows the location of the fabled Nymphomaniac Kingdom!
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I agree with Thomas Sancho,Microsoft were very fast creating new software. So users always
keep upgrading from new software to newest. and it was just most likely the same just a little add-ons. But
I am very excited for this new software, I will try it then.