Windows 7 Available in September/October 2009

This early. I hope its good. I dont wont another vista.

When it comes down to the deadline for the general availability of Windows 7, Microsoft has been undeterred from its initial claims that the next iteration of the Windows client would ship within three years of Windows Vista's GA. However, this is not exactly the case, revealed a computer-industry executive from Asia. In fact, Microsoft seems keen to beat its three years from Vista GA estimate for the delivery of Windows 7. A report via Bloomberg indicates that the Redmond company is actually planning to wrap up Windows 7 well ahead of the 2009 holiday season, namely in the September – October 2009 time frame.

“According to current planning, it should be late September or early October,” revealed Ray Chen, president of Compal Electronics, a company from Taipei. And Chen is in a position to know. Microsoft is collaborating closely with its original equipment manufacturers with the development of Windows 7, emphasizing efforts superior to those made for Vista. Compal Electronics builds laptops for both Hewlett- Packard and Acer, OEMs that have undoubtedly let in at least on a vague Windows 7 product roadmap, more than can be said for the general public.

The Windows 7 delivery deadline indicated by Chen fits the roadmap leaked for the operating system at the start of this month by Lotta Bath, from the Microsoft Sweden Partner team. Bath also indicated that Windows 7 would be released to manufacturing in October 2009. However, RTM and GA are two entirely different milestones.

In fact, from Chen's report it is unclear whether or not he expects Windows 7 to RTM and to be served to OEMs in September/October 2009, or if either of the two months will mark the general availability of the platform. Because if indeed late September or early October is to witness the RTM of Windows 7, the operating system will take quite some time, up to a couple of months before it will hit the shelves.

Microsoft has released the first and only public Beta of Windows 7 on January 10, 2009, discontinuing serving the bits on February 12. At this point in time, the software giant is working on Release Candidate builds of Windows 7. The RC deadline has yet to be announced.

[via softpedia.com]

Microsoft announces Windows 7 changes

Check out the new changes to Windows 7 beta.

Microsoft has unveiled some of the changes it will make to Windows 7 when it
moves from the popular public beta to its first release candidate.

From
the start, Microsoft has openly admitted that some features are not included in
the beta that will make the final version; and on the Engineering Windows 7
blog, the software giant has noted some of the changes it will make following
feedback.

It suggests that the 36 changes listed are just a sample of
some of the changes it will have integrated into the first release candidate of
Windows 7, when it finally arrives.

Tweaks and shifts

Some of the changes, listed by Chaitanya Sareen, are relatively minor,
including tweaks to the desktop experience like Windows Flip (Alt + Tab) with
Aero Peek, and more shortcuts using the Windows key.

Interestingly,
Microsoft has also indicated it will switch back to a more obvious 'needy
window' alert - when a program that needs attention flashed on the taskbar -
because the first iteration in Windows 7 was too subtle.

"Since the
'90s, the taskbar has always provided some type of visualisation to alert the
customer to this state such as by flashing the button," says Sareen.

"A
careful balance must be struck between providing information and not irritating
the customer.

Too subtle

"With the new taskbar,
we received feedback that Outlook reminders or a Messenger chat sometimes went
unnoticed because needy windows were too subtle," Sareen adds

"We've
made three changes that should address the issue. First, we changed the flashing
animation curve to make it more noticeable (from a sine to a sawtooth wave).

"Second, we used a bolder orange colour. Finally, we wanted to double
the number of flashes which is currently set to three. As a nod to Windows 7, we
decided to go with seven flashes instead."

The extensive changes are
detailed on the Engineering Windows 7 blog – so if you want to know what to
expect in RC1 then check out the full change list.


By Patrick Goss

[via techradar.com]

Windows 7 Build 7048 Labeled Release Candidate 1 (RC1)

Windows 7 is out of the beta stage.


The first Release Candidate of Windows 7 is beginning to take contour. Following the availability of Windows 7 Beta Build 7000 for the general public on January 10, 2009, and the discontinuation of all downloads on February 12, there has been nothing but complete radio silence from Microsoft on the development of the next iteration of Windows. Still, it is undeniable that the Redmond company is making consistent headway building Windows 7, and that the development process has already moved past the Beta stage to the Release Candidate branch. Leaked information from testers now reveals that Windows 7 Build 7048 carries the Release Candidate 1 (RC1) label.

Various sources, especially enthusiasts on Windows-centric forums, indicate that a select pool of Microsoft testers have received Windows 7 Build 6.1.7048.winmain_win7rc1.090211-1625. Microsoft has yet to confirm or deny that, as at just a little over one month since the public launch of Windows 7 Beta it has started compiling builds of the operating system belonging to the RC branch.

However, the version label associated with Windows 7 Build 7048 indeed suggests that the Redmond company has branched off winmain. At the same time, “090211-1625” indicates that Windows 7 Build 7048 was compiled on February 11, 2009, at 4:25 PM.

Nevertheless, the leaked details on Windows 7 Build 7048 RC have to be taken with a grain of salt, as Microsoft has yet to unveil the actual naming scheme that will be associated with RC branch builds. Before Windows 7 Build 7048, testers leaked information and screenshots on Windows 7 Build 7032 (6.1.7032.0.winmain.090129-1812).

But, for the time being, only the bits for Windows 7 Build 7022 are available for download in the wild, with the 32-bit flavor having been leaked to BitTorrent trackers. As far as Microsoft is concerned, mum's the word for the Windows 7 Release Candidate, which is reportedly planned for an April 2009 launch.

[via softpedia.com]