In this issue:

• Microsoft: There will only be one Beta for Windows 7
• Microsoft Announces Windows 7 Editions
• Recent Support BBS Postings
• Administrivia

Microsoft: There will only be one Beta for Windows 7

by Arie Slob

Hello Windows users,

At the end of January, in a posting to the Windows 7 Engineering Blog, Steven Sinofsky senior vice president for the Windows and Windows Live Engineering Group wrote:

"The next milestone for the development of Windows 7 is the Release Candidate or "RC". Historically the Release Candidate has signaled "we're pretty close and we want people to start testing the release, especially because all the features are done." As we have said before, with Windows 7 we chose a slightly different approach which we were clear up front about and are all now experiencing together and out in the open."

Some beta testers and Microsoft partners expressed their disappointment with the path Windows 7 development has taken. Microsoft asked for feedback/suggestions less than three to four months ago, and it is pretty clear that there has been no time for these suggestions to have been incorporated in the operating system.

I have been running Windows 7 since last year, and must say that its performance seems fine, but there are still issues that should be looked at, and it is questionable if some will be addressed. An issue which I (and others) have raised is the Homegroup feature of Windows 7. This is a useful feature for home users, but without having an update available for (at minimum) Windows Vista and (preferably) Windows XP, Homegroup will be pointless for many home users who will have legacy systems running pre- Windows 7 operating systems. The indications I have so far do not suggest that Microsoft will make an update available for older operating systems, thereby once again showing they have some trouble "getting it". Users pass older machines "down" to other family members, and leave whatever operating system is installed on the machine. No one wants to spend another $100 or so upgrading an operating system that is still working fine.

Sinofsky's RC announcement has fanned the speculation on the milestone dates (RC and RTM), Sinofsky had this to say:

"The obvious question is that we know the Pre-Beta was October 28, 2008, and the Beta was January 7th, so when is the Release Candidate and RTM? The answer is forthcoming. We are currently evaluating the feedback and telemetry and working to develop a robust schedule that gets us the right level of quality in a predictable manner. Believe me, we know many people want to know more specifics. We're on a good path and we're making progress. We are taking a quality-based approach to completing the product and won't be driven by imposed deadlines. We have internal metrics and milestones and our partners continue to get builds routinely so even when we reach RC, we are doing so together as partners. And it relies, rather significantly, on all of you testing the Beta and our partners who are helping us get to the finish line together."

Most observers are suggesting an April release for the RC candidate, and an RTM just after summer.

Your Comments.

Microsoft Announces Windows 7 Editions

Early last week Microsoft announced the SKU lineup of Windows 7, and while the company says it will focus mainly on two editions: Windows 7 Home Premium and Windows 7 Professional; Microsoft offers a total of six different Windows 7 versions (more, if you count the stripped-down K, N and KN versions the company is required to sell overseas because of antitrust rulings). This is the full Windows 7 SKU (Stock Keeping Unit) line-up: