The Apple fanbois do not want to hear it and the Linux elitests do not want to hear it but so far Win 7 RC is GREAT!. It is snappy, no problems so far, loaded fast, boots fast, no issues at all so far.

I have been running the Win 7 beta for months. I, for one, can not wait for the RC. I will be using it not only on my test rig as I have been doing with the Beta but also on my workstation. The MS haters and Apple and Lunux fanbois aside, this a shaping up to be a great OS.

Windows Server 2008 had the Hyper-V as a 'beta' add-on tool. I think this Windows-XP-as-a-service (Ala Mac OSX's Classic Mode) will be a downloadable add-on - not an integrated solution (at least until it becomes RTM; maybe integrated with a service pack?)

I previously said that what Microsoft calls a “release candidate” is what everybody else calls a “beta”, but I was wrong.

A “beta” is supposed to be feature-frozen, with only bug fixes going in as it moves closer to release. But here we have Microsoft sticking in a last-minute major feature in the form of Dimdows XP mode. That shows that 7 is in fact nowhere near “beta” quality, since it isn’t even stable yet.

Release Canadate might just be most obvious flaws fixed. These betas last months or even years, for some. Then Corporate edition & finally, retail. You wouldn't think quality would go down, So Think HIGH. Very High, Indeed. For Quite Some Time.

Maybe, In Time , puG-C+ or complex demos upcoming in advanced area, 7 might need ALL Space it can get. Then....More Updating Sp1/2/3 & Final Ultimate64, So Powerful, So Many COOL Gb & SSD & Pu-Pu Everywhere.WellSpring or Contenential Divide Has Been Reached, Beyond Paradigim.. ST drashek

Well its that time of the year again. Create a spare partition and load this baby and see the negative/positive outcomes.

This better WORK!

Oh yeah another thing, don't forget to activate Windows XP mode when you install your RC1 copy of Windows 7. Your mileage will vary.

From what I've been told by techies in the loop, Microsoft has been hoping for either a 1st June 2009 or 1st July 2009 release, so it's possible still that these dates are more or less accurate. The important bit is that Microsoft seems to have been a bit more serious with this release and a lot more open with companies and the testers.

I'll be looking forward to the release.