Windows 7 Release Candidate now available from Microsoft

Microsoft says it's available for download to MSDN and TechNet subscribers at http://technet.microsoft.com. Broader public availability will begin on May 5 at the Microsoft Download Centre on http://microsoft.com/downloads. Bill Veghte, senior vice president for the Windows business at Microsoft, says that this milestone is the result of feedback from millions of customers and partners around the world, and indicates that the operating system is entering the final phases of development. "Listening to our partners and customers has been fundamental to the development of Windows 7," says Veghte. "We heard them and worked hard to deliver the highest quality Release Candidate in the history of Windows." Forrester Research is one analyst that appears to agree. Its senior researcher Ben Gray says: "The beta of Windows 7 shows significant promise, and most IT operations professionals are looking forward to its availability and eventual enterprise deployment. "Start preparing for it now, and the best way to prepare for Windows 7 is by deploying Windows Vista. Short of that, begin testing your applications and hardware for compatibility against Windows Vista; it will pay off with greater compatibility with Windows 7."