Windows 7 Release Candidate Can Be Downloaded
Windows 7 Release Candidate, an important milestone for the Microsoft’s next operating system, is available for download now to MSDN and TechNet subscribers, while the large public will have access to the Windows 7 RC starting with May 5, 2009. The Release Candidate marks the entry of the Windows 7 operating system into the final development stage and will deliver access to the broadest hardware and software offered by today’s industry.
Bill Veghte, senior vice president for the Windows business at Microsoft ensures customers that Windows 7 RC has “the highest quality Release Candidate in the history of Windows”. “Listening to our partners and customers has been fundamental to the development of Windows 7. We have more partner support than we’ve ever had for an RC and are pleased to say that the Windows 7 RC has hit the quality and compatibility bar for enterprises to start putting it through its paces and testing in earnest.”
Windows 7 RC has new advancements (Remote Media Streaming , Windows XP Mode and Windows 7 Upgrade Advisor) as well as enhancements to the existing features added based on testers feedback (refined navigation, InPrivate browsing in Internet Explorer 8 and Windows Touch):
-Remote Media Streaming enables highly secure, remote Internet access to home-based digital media libraries from another Windows 7-based PC outside the home.
-Windows XP Mode allows Windows 7 users to run many Windows XP productivity applications, launched right from the Windows 7 desktop. Windows XP Mode will be available to Windows 7 Professional and Windows 7 Ultimate customers via download or, for the best experience, pre-installed directly on new PCs.
-Windows 7 Upgrade Advisor will help people analyze their PCs in preparation for a Windows 7 upgrade. Available soon, Windows 7 Upgrade Advisor will be a downloadable tool that will help people determine their ability to upgrade from their Windows XP-based or Windows Vista-based PC to Windows 7.
-Refined navigation. Several enhancements to the Windows taskbar, JumpLists and search make navigation and finding exactly what you want much easier.
-Internet Explorer 8. InPrivate browsing in Internet Explorer 8 prevents browsing history, temporary Internet files, form data, cookies, and usernames and passwords from being retained by the browser. With Windows 7, you can start an InPrivate session straight from the JumpList. You can also open a new tab from the JumpList.
-Windows Touch. Controlling the computer by touching a touch-enabled screen or monitor is a core Windows 7 user experience. Improvements in the RC include several Windows Touch updates, including the ability to drag, drop and select items with touch, even inside Web sites that scroll both horizontally and vertically.
The minimum system requirements for Windows 7 shows the availability of this operating system for a broader range of hardware, as compared with other released Windows versions:
-1GHz or faster 32-bit (x86) or 64-bit (x64) processor
-1 GB of RAM (32-bit)/2 GB of RAM (64-bit)
-16 GB of available disk space (32-bit)/20 GB (64-bit)
-DirectX 9 graphics device with Windows Display Driver Model 1.0 or higher driver
For the users that are not MSDN or TechNet subscribers, the public release date (May 5, 2009) of Windows 7 Release Candidate is close. Windows 7 RC will be available for download from Microsoft Download Center.
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