Time for Windows 7, Developers geeting Windows 7 RC next week (May ‘09)

Some Microsoft developers will be able to download a near-final version of the company's Windows 7 operating system, probably first week of May 09. 

Starting on April 30, MSDN and TechNet subscribers will be able to download the Windows 7 Release Candidate, Microsoft said in a blog post. Release candidates are typically feature-complete and stable, and suggest that the final version of a product will be available very soon.

The company recently posted information accidentally on its Partner Program Web site saying that the Release Candidate was already available to developers and would be released to the general public on May 5. That page was quickly pulled because the software was not yet ready. 

In its blog post Friday, Microsoft has now confirmed that the general public will be able to download the release candidate on May 5. 

Analysts have been predicting lately that the final release of Windows 7 will appear sooner than expected. Officially, Microsoft says that it is on track to deliver Windows 7 three years after the release of Vista, which was in January 2007. But some analysts now say it could be available in September or October this year.

Kaspersky Lab announces anti-virus for Windows 7

Kaspersky Lab, makers from Kaspersky Antivirus (KAV) has announced the Kaspersky Anti-Virus for Windows 7 beta users and plans to extend the compatibility with full release of Windows 7.

Kaspersky Lab’s suite of security offerings will be available to Windows 7 users immediately following the launch of the new operating system. According to the lab more than 300,000 people over two and a half months have installed the version of KAV for Windows 7. They have extended thanks to collaboration with Microsoft for receiving an exceptional amount of valuable feedback from beta testers that will enable them to ensure that their products are fully compatible with Windows 7 upon final release.

More news related to Kaspersky Antivirus and Windows 7 from previous posts on this geeklog.

Windows 7 to ditch Internet Explorer?

Microsoft may give Windows 7 users the option to remove its Internet Explorer (IE) 8 web browser from the operating system.

The Aero Experience blog says build 7048 of the operating system benefits from the new 'Windows Features On or Off' function, which could potentially let users get rid of the browser.

Internet Explorer has been bundled with Windows for many years, a move which has created controversy. In January this year, the EU Competition Commission charged Microsoft with distorting competition in the market for web browsers by bundling IE with the Windows operating system.

"Given that this change doesn't exist in Beta 1, the odds that this change will persist through to RC are quite high," says the blog.

"There is a catch: for now, this only seems to wipe the actual executable running Internet Explorer 8. In addition, this actually takes two reboots and a configuration step to complete, so there's definitely something going on behind the scenes (likely a remapping of where IE-related functions can be found for other elements in Windows so that Windows doesn't complain about IE's nonexistence)."

Source: PCWorld.in

Compare Windows 7 Versions - which edition of Windows 7 is the best?

Vista's SKUs can be reflected well in all these six editions of Windows 7 to be release towards the end of this year or the beginning of the next. Compare Windows 7 Versions - which edition of Windows 7 is the best?

1. Windows 7 Starter
2. Windows 7 Home Basic
3. Windows 7 Enterprise
4. Windows 7 Ultimate
5. Windows 7 Home Premium
6. Windows 7 Professional

Microsoft is recommending either Windows 7 Home Premium or Professional for most of its customers. 

Windows 7 Home Premium is for the average user and Windows 7 Professional -- replacing Windows Vista Business -- is for small businesses and people who work at home but have to operate in an IT-managed or business environment with security and productivity concerns, according to Microsoft.

Windows 7 Starter is a limited-functionality version of the OS that will be available worldwide but only as a pre-install by OEMs (original equipment manufacturers). This expansion of its availability -- Vista Starter was only available in emerging markets -- led one blogger to surmise that Windows 7 Starter is the version Microsoft will push for the netbook market. Netbook makers will likely choose this version.

Windows 7 Enterprise is Microsoft's SKU for its enterprise customers, while PC enthusiasts that "want it all," according to Microsoft, should purchase Windows 7 Ultimate.

Like Vista, Windows 7 also will have Home Basic edition that will only be sold in emerging PC markets "for customers looking for an entry-point Windows experience on a full-size value PC," according to Microsoft.

Making all editions of Windows 7 available on small form-factor PCs, widely known as netbooks, is an especially strategic move for Microsoft, as the same was not true for Vista.

For more news updates on Microsoft Windows 7, visit out Label: Windows 7 CLICK HERE.

Details about the new Microsoft OS Windows 7 from their official website: http://www.microsoft.com/windows/windows-7/

All editions of Windows 7 to run on Netbooks says Microsoft

Microsoft has recently made an announcement that it would be releasing six editions of the much anticipated Windows 7 and all of them will run on range of hardware, including Netbooks - laptops for effective Internet. The upcoming Operating System (OS) from Microsoft giant will emphasis on Windows 7 Home Premium and Windows 7 Professional, these two OS versions are supposed to be purchased by most customer.

Vista's SKUs can be reflected well in all these six editions of Windows 7 to be release towards the end of this year or the beginning of the next.

1. Windows 7 Starter
2. Windows 7 Home Basic
3. Windows 7 Enterprise
4. Windows 7 Ultimate
5. Windows 7 Home Premium
6. Windows 7 Professional

With Windows 7, Microsoft hopes it will be easier for customers to decide which edition of the OS is right for them. By doing so, the company once again seems to be trying to learn from mistakes it made with the release of Windows Vista, premium versions of which had special hardware requirements that hindered customers' transition from XP and confused users as to which edition they should purchase.

When Microsoft released Vista, premium versions such as Windows Vista Ultimate and Windows Vista Home Premium did not run on many PCs that already were running Windows XP. Microsoft tried to give hardware partners and customers fair warning of this and through a controversial program had OEMs put stickers on new PCs to let customers know which version of Vista those machines could run.

Still, many customers did not feel Vista hardware requirements were communicated effectively and Microsoft is still embroiled in a class-action suit over that sticker program, called "Windows Vista Capable."

For more news updates on Microsoft Windows 7, visit out Label: Windows 7 CLICK HERE.

Details about the new Microsoft OS Windows 7 from their official website: http://www.microsoft.com/windows/windows-7/

Windows 7 January launch at CES

Details about the new Microsoft OS Windows 7 from their official website: http://www.microsoft.com/windows/windows-7/ 

Software could overshadow gadgets at the upcoming Consumer Electronics Show (CES), with Microsoft expected to shed light on its upcoming Windows 7 OS.

The financial meltdown may also be lingering topic as tech vendors gather to flaunt products at the show in Las Vegas, hoping to show enough glitter and sparkle to bring them better fortunes in the new year. Attendees will pour over the latest technologies, including OLED (organic light-emitting diode) TVs, netbooks, smartphones, media players, and other entertainment devices.

Audiences may miss the show's perennial star, Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates, who gave his final CES speech earlier this year. Instead, Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer will kick off the event with a keynote address on January 7. He's expected to give a peek at Microsoft's Windows 7 OS, which many hope will be zippier and less resource hungry than Windows Vista.

Microsoft expects to make "significant" Windows 7 announcements, including a possible release of Windows 7 beta software. A "sneak peek" at future Microsoft Office software may also be offered.

A look at Microsoft's future software could add pep to what otherwise might turn out to be a subdued show. Attendance at CES 2009 is expected to drop as consumers and technology vendors cut spending amid the economic crisis. Hotels, which in previous years were often packed months before the show, have been offering discounted rates to fill rooms.

WINDOWS 7 BETA LEAKS TO INTERNET
Pirated copies of a Windows 7 build pegged by many as the beta Microsoft Corp. will release next month have leaked to the Internet, according to searches at several BitTorrent sites today. A search on the Pirate Bay BitTorrent site, for example, returned two Windows 7 Build 7000 listings, both of which had been posted Friday. As of Saturday afternoon, one torrent on Pirate Bay showed more than 1,800 "seeders"

WINDOWS 7 PIRATED AND AVAILABLE NOW
Pirated copies of a Windows 7 build pegged by many as the beta Microsoft will release next month have leaked to the Internet, according to searches at several BitTorrent sites. A search on the Pirate Bay BitTorrent site, for example, returned two Windows 7 Build 7000 listings, both of which had been posted last Friday. The Pirate Bay and other BitTorrent sites, including Mininova, listed the beta build as a 2.44GB download.