According to the Windows Team Blog, Windows 7 has officially entered the RTM stage. The build completed, all the validation checks have passed and now it's ready. Is it available to the open public yet? Nope, not yet. But the dates when it will be available for the specific groups of customers are also known.

ISV (Independent software vendor) and IHV (Independent hardware vendor) Partners: (through Microsoft Connect or MSDN) - August 6th, 2009
Microsoft Partner Program Gold/Certified Members: (through Microsoft Partner Network (MPN) Portal) - August 16th, 2009
Microsoft Action Pack Subscribers: August 23th, 2009
OEMs: Approximately 2 days after we officially RTM (~ July 24, 2009)
Volume License (VL) customer with an existing Software Assurance (SA): (through Volume License Service Center (VLSC)) - August 6th, 2009
Volume License customers without a SA license: September 1st, 2009
IT Professionals with TechNet Subscriptions: August 6th, 2009
Developers with MSDN Subscriptions: August 6th, 2009
Other customers (retail): October 22nd, 2009

It is definitely a great operating system and I can't wait to make the switch and take advantage of the new features (especially Windows 7 API). What about you?

Excellent, I've been waiting for this! I really like Windows 7. One thing I loved about Vista was the GUI, Windows 7 has that GUI but it's much faster and doesn't require as many resource to run.

Hooray! I've been looking forward to this since I procrastinated so long on Vista...heh.

More like it isn't HORRIBLE like Vista. Or at least it wasn't when I beta'd it. It actually made me like Windows again. But it all depends on what changes they made to the final Windows 7. If Windows 7 is great, then the operating system right after it in the Microsoft line will be horrible like Vista... Vista was bad...

Well, I have to kind of give some credit to Vista. It did make me discover Linux. I don't mind a closed source operating system as long as it isn't horrible like Vista. Did I say Vista was horrible? As for the GUI, Vista was hit and miss with me but Windows 7 was just perfect.



I'm actually pretty sure Windows 7 will be just as good as it was when I used it and Vista will be just another bad nightmare like ME. At least ME was somewhat kawaii.

This post has been edited by WolfCoder: 22 Jul, 2009 - 07:01 PM

Does anyone know if the RTM will be available to MSDN-AA members?

August 6th here we come <3

@WolfCoder Microsoft openly admitted at their partner conference that Vista "sucked", basically.

Although I've always had a different view, used it since Longhorn 4074 (when it was still pretty much XP with a (crappy) sidebar!) and watched it progress... Was all go until Beta 2 when it started using a heap of resources. But I've always had a good machine so that wasn't an issue, Vista FTW

Since the Release Candidate, as well as the Beta versions of Windows 7 were available through MSDNAA, I would expect the RTM to be available there too, however, a bit later.

I can't believe how quick they got Windows 7 off the ground - I guess the fact that even the general public were really vocal about Vista's problems, coupled with the growing popularity of Linux has scared them a bit - they did start practicality throwing cheap copies of XP at OEM's after all.

I can't wait to give the final version a try - I've got fully DirectX 10 compliant hardware in my desktop machine, but I'm still running XP Pro at the moment. Will be nice to see what it is actually capable of

Microsoft seems to be on a bit of a role where generating a buzz about new products is concerned, I just feel it's a bit of a shame that the people behind the various Linux distro's didn't really manage to capitalise on the opportunity that Vista presented, because we're not likely to see another one in the near future.

Lets clarify, Microsoft is not afraid of Linux. Maybe the idea of Linux, but not Linux itself.

Goodbye Vista, Helloooo Windows 7.

Cant wait, vista's just yuck.

I can't wait until windows 7 comes out.

Been in the beta since it started - I love it. I didn't mind Vista, but the hardware requirements screwed a lot of people over. They'd throw Vista on a Celeron with 512. If you're the kind of person who buys a Celeron (probably not a huge computer person), you're going to be the most confused when it sucks. 7 runs on netbooks very well, so it's a nice change of post. I'll probably dual-boot it with Mint once it's officially released.

Actually they're kind of afraid. I hope they're going to try and compete with Macs ease of use and stability and Linux's speed. That was my guess because Windows 7 started faster than XP on my machine, and shuts down almost instantly just like Ubuntu 9. Vista really hurt them bad, even normal people who don't use computers that often usually tell me horrible things about Vista.

Granted it might be due to the crappy company that loaded all their crap on it (HP I'm glaring at you) but when people do that it hurts Vista's already horrible performance giving it a bad name. However I'm sure Microsoft is going to take back ground with Windows 7.


But...


You know, for some reason I feel plenty of doubt. For some reason the thought of buying and using Windows 7 makes me sick a little even though it seemed a pretty well performing operating system with a good GUI. It's as though the battle between Linux and Windows is being waged inside me. However, I like Windows, but hate hate hate Microsoft. For some reason it just feels like two different things even though it's Microsoft's key product.

Perhaps I'll feel better if I develop open-source software more diligently if I move to Windows 7. Kind of even out me using a closed operating system.

This post has been edited by WolfCoder: 26 Jul, 2009 - 10:16 PM

If only I had waited a few more months before I bought this computer.
Didn't they like give away Vista to people who had bought computers with XP installed months prior to it's release?

I am a bit sicker after reading that article. Corporations and capital strife collective human advancements and the improvement of the global human condition, period.

This post has been edited by LoveIsNull: 26 Jul, 2009 - 10:35 PM

Well, I've been thinking for a while now that Microsoft should just make a gaming OS. This obviously wouldn't be it, but I guess if you stripped windows 7, you could get something decent. The resource requirements of XP with the powerful DX10 and 64bit capabilities...that's what I want. Definitely going to test W7 and benchmark it soon, will post results!

You pretty much just described the server version of any Windows release.

If you're a student you can get Windows Server 2008 from DreamSpark right now...

I just got an email about this.

It will be available Oct. 22nd

Downloading Windows 7 Ultimate (Retail) as we speak. Got to love the MSDN Subscription

I have to wait until I start Brown College in Jan. >.> I can wait until October when the official comes out, but until Jan. when all my loans are borrowed for (I may just do 1 quarter, and not 3)... ugh.