Windows 7 RC extended to 2010

[GroundZero3]

Use Windows 7 Free (for Awhile) - PC World

Windows 7 RC, slated for download by MSDN and TechNet subscribers Thursday and by the general public on May 5, doesn't expire until June 1, 2010, 13 months from Friday, Microsoft confirmed Thursday.

Enjoy!

[ShyguyXPC]

possible hint at how long we'll have to wait for the retail version?

if so... I'll say it now, Told You So (not you GZ, but for those that kept claiming it'd be out by late summer, and telling all the new people to forget about buying Vista and just wait for Win7 to come out this year)

[Whir]

Score. I was dreading having to buy three copies in August already. Hehe. Of course I'm neither an MSDN or TechNet subscriber...

[RicheemxX]

possible hint at how long we'll have to wait for the retail version?

if so... I'll say it now, Told You So (not you GZ, but for those that kept claiming it'd be out by late summer, and telling all the new people to forget about buying Vista and just wait for Win7 to come out this year)

I don't think its a hint, more likely a very well thought out marketing plan. Not only do you give users and people who still might be on the ledge a longer test run but you give yourself time get the retail boxes out and get a little more exposure. It would be a win win. Heck by the time it makes it to retail most of us will have been running it for almost a year and won't want to switch back to XP (I know I probably won't), so giving me a little more lead in time makes it even more likely that I'll buy.

Supposedly MS will be shipping the retail version around Oct. In July/Aug they are also supposedly going to start doing the upgrade coupon thing for OEM's like they did with Vista. Which would make sense, get the option out there for back to school shoppers.

[cksboy15]

It would be a win win. Heck by the time it makes it to retail most of us will have been running it for almost a year and won't want to switch back to XP (I know I probably won't), so giving me a little more lead in time makes it even more likely that I'll buy.

I was actually wondering if they were gonna do something like that. Cause I would have seen a lot of microsoft boxes at work by now if they stuck with november like I heard. I work in a place were they take stuff from one semi and put it on another because Columbus won't let a large truck in the main city where all the walmarts and microcenter is.

[EXreaction]

A hardware OEM had mentioned recently that Windows 7 will be available October 23 this year.

[ShyguyXPC]

I don't think its a hint, more likely a very well thought out marketing plan. Not only do you give users and people who still might be on the ledge a longer test run but you give yourself time get the retail boxes out and get a little more exposure. It would be a win win. Heck by the time it makes it to retail most of us will have been running it for almost a year and won't want to switch back to XP (I know I probably won't), so giving me a little more lead in time makes it even more likely that I'll buy.

Supposedly MS will be shipping the retail version around Oct. In July/Aug they are also supposedly going to start doing the upgrade coupon thing for OEM's like they did with Vista. Which would make sense, get the option out there for back to school shoppers.

ahh, I see. even still there's been a LOT of people claiming it'd be out by the summer & advising a lot of new people not to buy Vista because of that.

but yeah, I can see from what you said, its basically a really long try before you buy sort of thing... full features and everything until such & such a date, before stops working or starts being damn inconvenient (said reboots)...

as to XP, i know what you mean.

latest thing I read about it is the XP Compatibility mode or whatever it was called, basically using the Virtualization Tech to run XP in Win7, etc, if they can let the Virtual XP run in Virtualization but allow a user to let it see the Video hardware or something like that, would be great for those of us with some older WinXP games & software that still might not run well in Win7 or Vista.

either way, I am going to be downloading RC1 and installing it for an OS on my brothers friends system to use for a while... (gives him a whole year to save up for Vista or Win7 which ever he wants to get, since he's always hard up for cash these days) was thinking of putting the Beta on it, but seeing as RC1 is being released so soon, just going to wait on that.

[nemowolf]

Since Vista came out i havnt made the move personally but i do have an Ultimate CD somewhere. All i do is gaming and nothing i play is DX10 so no reason to really jump.

I will be looking at the 64bit OS options soon as i will be breaking the 4GB RAM marker soon. From what i have been reading, Win7 seems to be spot on for OS's and will be what Vista wishes it was.

[cunokyle]

Win7 seems to be spot on for OS's and will be what Vista wishes it was.

I have used Win 7 beta as my main OS for 4 months or so now. By far the best OS I have ever used.

[Cmptr-Gy-Dv]

personally I think it has more to do with getting the big corporations to buy win 7 than getting the consumer to buy it, the consumer really has no choice, if 7 is on the computer you buy at the retail stores than 7 you get,

funny thing is I go in to hundreds of company's every week and I have seen one computer in one company running vista, just one, seems MS would like win 7 to do a little better in the corp than vista did,

[nemowolf]

personally I think it has more to do with getting the big corporations to buy win 7 than getting the consumer to buy it, the consumer really has no choice, if 7 is on the computer you buy at the retail stores than 7 you get,

funny thing is I go in to hundreds of company's every week and I have seen one computer in one company running vista, just one, seems MS would like win 7 to do a little better in the corp than vista did,

My company is anti vista.

[2monsters]

I have used Win 7 beta as my main OS for 4 months or so now. By far the best OS I have ever used.

I agree 100%. This will also save me some more cash for the meantime. May 5th i will be spot on for the RC.

[ShyguyXPC]

RC1 is getting installed on both of my rigs as well after hearing about this.

gives me until next paycheck to gather funds for a new Hard drive for the main rig to install to, and dual boot with XP MCE then.

Debating on a regular HDD or a newer SSD to install the OS to though... I have plenty of storage for now though, OS drive aside. 250GB on XP install drive & 250x2 in RAID 0 for Data/programs etc. 500GB (about 100GB free) Back up drive on the 2nd Quad system too.

but definitely may end up using Win7 more than XP soon.

earlier I wasn't sure how to word it, even now after a 3 hour nap, still not sure, but was thinking this extended RC for Win7 would/could benefit drivers from manufacturers to get them sooner for Retail release, instead of putzing around as they did for Vista's release, with the RC being extended until mid 2010, there should be more people willing to run it, as well as buy Win7 over the next year, giving manufacturers more incentive to get off their butts and make working drivers for the OS...

just a thought on that, still not sure how to word it, but can picture it in my head. LOL.

[nemowolf]

RC1 is getting installed on both of my rigs as well after hearing about this.

gives me until next paycheck to gather funds for a new Hard drive for the main rig to install to, and dual boot with XP MCE then.

Debating on a regular HDD or a newer SSD to install the OS to though... I have plenty of storage for now though, OS drive aside. 250GB on XP install drive & 250x2 in RAID 0 for Data/programs etc. 500GB (about 100GB free) Back up drive on the 2nd Quad system too.

but definitely may end up using Win7 more than XP soon.

earlier I wasn't sure how to word it, even now after a 3 hour nap, still not sure, but was thinking this extended RC for Win7 would/could benefit drivers from manufacturers to get them sooner for Retail release, instead of putzing around as they did for Vista's release, with the RC being extended until mid 2010, there should be more people willing to run it, as well as buy Win7 over the next year, giving manufacturers more incentive to get off their butts and make working drivers for the OS...

just a thought on that, still not sure how to word it, but can picture it in my head. LOL.

Driver support is something that worries me about this RC ... How friendly is it with devices?

[2monsters]

Driver support is something that worries me about this RC ... How friendly is it with devices?

Good thing about win 7 is you can use vista drivers on it. The only thing i had a problem with was my sound card. Hek even my 4 year old brother printer works with win7.

[cunokyle]

Good thing about win 7 is you can use vista drivers on it. The only thing i had a problem with was my sound card. Hek even my 4 year old brother printer works with win7.

Same here, only driver issue I had was with my Audigy 2ZS. Saw that there was an updated driver for it the other day, haven't given it a shot yet though. My onboard sound works flawlessly.

[Cmptr-Gy-Dv]

ok running RC1 can I dump vista now

[TOAD6147]

Where will the download link be found on the 5th?

[Cmptr-Gy-Dv]

Where will the download link be found on the 5th?

http://www.microsoft.com/windows/win...-download.aspx

[Cmptr-Gy-Dv]

you won't get the download but if you click on the details you will get the hash for the download,

in case anybody wants to check the integrity of there download,

TechNet Plus Subscriptions: TechNet subscribers get TechNet Plus downloads and product keys, support, and more | Subscribe to TechNet Plus Subscriptions | Get Windows 7 Beta Now



64bit/ SHA1: FC867FE1AB2E0A9796F9E4D155B44EA6998F4874

32bit/ SHA1: 7D1F486CA569EFFFFB719CFB48355BB7BF499712