Microsoft Windows 7 RC will go public on May 5

[Apoptosis]

The first Windows 7 release candidate could go out to the public in just over two weeks—and barely four months after the release of the first beta. As Ars Technica reports, Microsoft let slip the rollout schedule via its Microsoft Partner Program website, which apparently stated the following this weekend:

Partners: If you have a subscription to MSDN or TechNet, you can download Windows 7 RC now. Otherwise, you can download Windows 7 RC starting May 5, 2009.

Looks like Microsoft will reach its goal of having Windows 7 on store shelves by the holiday season and maybe even by the rumored October date.

[FZ1]

I don't think I'm going to bother with this one...I'll wait until it goes live. It doesn't offer anything more than I have other than sparkling shininess.

[Skippman]

I just got Vista this year. I'm not going to Windows 7 anytime soon. I'd have stuck to XP if I didn't need a 64bit distro due to my RAM.

[Major_A]

After playing with Windows 7 a little bit there is a long list of things I like about it and a long list of things I hate about it. Hopefully some of the things in that list of hate are addressed in the RC.

[Skippman]

Such as?

[Major_A]

Well...
1) No classic start menu
2) Pinned applications instead of a quick launch
3) You have to dig too deep to get to your network card just to initialize a "repair"
4) The taskbar in general - I just don't like how it's setup
5) Still no option to uninstall Media Center and other Ultimate options, even though they said there would be
These are the few off the top of my head. Let me think about it for a while and I'll add to the list as they come to me. I don't have Window 7 installed on a computer at present so I can't easy turn on a PC and refer to it that way.

[dicecca112]

The first Windows 7 release candidate could go out to the public in just over two weeks—and barely four months after the release of the first beta. As Ars Technica reports, Microsoft let slip the rollout schedule via its Microsoft Partner Program website, which apparently stated the following this weekend:

Partners: If you have a subscription to MSDN or TechNet, you can download Windows 7 RC now. Otherwise, you can download Windows 7 RC starting May 5, 2009.

Looks like Microsoft will reach its goal of having Windows 7 on store shelves by the holiday season and maybe even by the rumored October date.

Ars Technica is wrong, May 5, the RC will be available to Technet and MSDN subscribers. Its already been released to Partners, just not via those two locations.

[Kougar]

Well...
1) No classic start menu
2) Pinned applications instead of a quick launch
3) You have to dig too deep to get to your network card just to initialize a "repair"
4) The taskbar in general - I just don't like how it's setup
5) Still no option to uninstall Media Center and other Ultimate options, even though they said there would be
These are the few off the top of my head. Let me think about it for a while and I'll add to the list as they come to me. I don't have Window 7 installed on a computer at present so I can't easy turn on a PC and refer to it that way.

1) I know this is purely preference, but why stick with the same interface layout and design that is bordering on 15 years old?

2)Takes only a few moments to re-add the QuickLaunch bar and disable application pinning.

3) I agree completely. It's still to deep to repair connections let alone grab IP addresses.

4) It can be configured identically to that of Vista if you prefer. You still will get Jumplists, but I much prefer the new taskbar as a hybrid of Vista and W7.

5) No option present in the RC build?? I'll have to check on this one.

Ars Technica is wrong, May 5, the RC will be available to Technet and MSDN subscribers. Its already been released to Partners, just not via those two locations.

I had read (elsewhere, maybe Dailytech) that it would become available on the 30th for Technet and MSDN subscribers, and May 5th for the public.

[Major_A]

1) I know this is purely preference, but why stick with the same interface layout and design that is bordering on 15 years old?

Because I find that it is easier for me to find my programs this way. It's less cluttered and as with most things I like my computer layout to be pretty Spartan.

[Kougar]

Windows 7 Release Candidate is now available to Technet subscribers.