Several people have pointed out to me that the Microsoft Office team launched a new blog today covering Office 2010 for IT professionals. The first post isn’t exactly substantive, and the whole thing feels like someone realized at the last minute, “Oh crap, Tech-Ed kicks off today and we need a blog!”
That would explain this gaffe:
I’m sure the typo will be fixed soon enough, but this seemed worth capturing for posterity. Hopefully everything gets a little smoother from here on out.
Microsoft said they would make the Windows 7 release candidate available to the public on May 5. Well, it must be May 5 somewhere, because the public download servers are open for business.
You’ll find a single page of download instructions here, along with links to the x86 (32-bit) and x64 (64-bit) versions of Windows 7 Ultimate.
Questions? Check What you need to know about the Windows 7 Release Candidate.
Setup help? Read Windows 7 setup secrets.
Stumped? Ask away in the comments below.
Shhhhhhh. Don’t tell anyone, but I just finished the screenshot gallery for my Windows 7 review at ZDNet. I’m still working on the review, which will be done late tonight, but the gallery is available for viewing now. Check it out:
I’m pretty picky about the screenshot galleries I do. On a big project like this, I probably spend 80% of my time setting up all the shots just so, and then cropping and annotating them. By the time I’m done with the gallery, writing the story that goes with it is a lot easier.
My goal is not just to take a snapshot but to tell a story with each screen and its brief caption. I hope you like it.
Update: My review is now complete as well:
I’ve read lots of discussion of XP Mode over the past 10 days (a tip of the hat to Rafael Rivera and Paul Thurrott for their excellent coverage so far, including Rafael’s breakdown of Windows XP Mode Internals, part 1 and part 2.). But I’ve only seen a few passing mentions of a possible stumbling block that will affect many people who try out Windows 7.
If you download the Windows 7 Release Candidate, as many people will do when it becomes available this week, you can also download a beta version of Windows Virtual PC and a fully licensed virtual machine running Windows XP SP3 to go along with it. But will you be able to install XP Mode?
That depends on whether your CPU supports it. Don’t assume that you can use this feature because you have a new PC with a fast, powerful processor. Windows Virtual PC, which powers XP Mode, requires hardware virtualization. In the case of Intel CPUs, that means the CPU has to include a feature called Intel VT.
If your PC is powered by a new quad-core Q8400, you can’t run Windows Virtual PC. An E6600 supports VT, while an E7400 doesn’t. But an E8200 includes VT support.
The Intel product matrix is downright baffling, which is why I went to Intel’s website and spent a couple hours putting together information about which CPUs in which families support hardware virtualization. You’ll find the detailed explanation, along with separate charts for desktop and mobile CPUs from Intel, here:
How many Intel CPUs will fail the XP Mode test in Windows 7?
If you’re thinking of buying a new PC with Windows 7 in mind, you’ll definitely want to incorporate this data into your research.
In the flurry of Windows 7 news and rumors, I almost lost sight of this factoid: Microsoft yesterday announced that Windows Vista Service Pack 2 is complete. The Notable Changes document suggests that it’s a solid collection of bug fixes that will make your life better if you use Vista on a single machine or deploy it on multiple PCs. In addition to bug fixes, the SP rolls up support for Windows Search 4.0, adds the Bluetooth 2.1 Feature Pack, and adds support for the exFAT file system and Windows Connect Now wireless configuration.
The press likes to talk about Windows Vista as if it’s already dead. The reality is it will continue to power tens of millions of PCs for years to come.
Microsoft’s reluctance to commit to firm release dates remains in place, with the public announcement saying only that downloads will be publicly available in the current calendar quarter, which ends on June 30.
Over at ZDNet, I’ve put together a list of answers to frequently asked questions about the Windows 7 Release Candidate. I’m sure I left a few out, so feel free to add your questions in the comments here (or there, if you don’t mind fighting off the trolls).
What you need to know about the Windows 7 Release Candidate
It’s the first of several pieces I’ve have this week on the RC. Coming up next: a closer look at changes in the RC, and some hands-on advice about the best ways to install and/or upgrade.
The Windows 7 Release Candidate is complete. It’s currently being unofficially distributed on BitTorrent networks, and the official release has begun as well. Technical beta testers, MSDN/TechNet subscribers, and the general public (in that order) will be allowed access to Microsoft-run download servers in waves between now and May 5.
I have a copy of the RC code, obtained through official channels, and I’m spending this weekend in a flurry of upgrades and clean installs. I’ll be sharing details and lessons learned from my experience over the next few days and weeks, mostly at ZDNet.
Based on my initial experience, though, I think I can solve one mystery. It’s not one of the great riddles of the ages, but I’ve been curious to know which of the 70xx builds wound up being declared the official release candidate and recompiled into build 7100. I think the answer is 7077.
I found the best clue is in the Sources folder on the installation media. The file Cversion.ini determines whether upgrades are allowed or blocked from the current build. The settings in the official release are as follows:
[HostBuild]
MinClient=7077.0
MinServer=7000.0
If you try to use this media to upgrade a system running the December Beta release (build 7000), you’ll be blocked unless you edit this file. You’ll also be blocked if you try to upgrade from most of the interim builds (7022, 7048, 7057, 7068) that found their way onto BitTorrent sites in the past few months.
But if you’ve been running build 7077 or later, the upgrade will complete without any problems. I can’t say for sure, but that suggests to me that the underlying code is identical and that the only change is the date stamp and the build number.
Update: Several Microsoft insiders have made it pretty clear to me that there were indeed significant “iterations” in the code base between 7077 (April 4) and 7100 (April 22). Thanks for the correction.
If you’re already running 7077, you don’t need to jump through any hoops to upgrade to the RC when it’s available. You can run Setup directly over that installation and it will work just fine.
A flurry of news today:
I’m also told that some early reports of Windows XP Mode are inaccurate. I’m still waiting for more details and code. The fact that this add-on isn’t available in the RC suggests it’s still under development and you should be skeptical of any reports you read now.
Update Apr-27: Here’s what I’ve posted in the Windows 7 RC FAQ:
Microsoft has announced that it will release a custom version of Virtual PC with a licensed copy of Windows XP SP3 and make the combination available as a download for licensed users of the business editions of Windows 7 (Professional and up). This add-on, called Windows XP Mode) will not be included with the release candidate, nor will it be part of the final RTM product.
I’ve posted my update on XP Mode at ZDNet today (“Why all the fuss over XP Mode?” Hint: It’s not about tech, it’s about licensing.)
If you want a hands-on look, Rafael Rivera and Paul Thurrott have a report on an early pre-beta release of the add-on. Those who are interested in the gory technical details can read Rafael Rivera’s breakdown of Windows XP Mode Internals.
I’ve mentioned this before but it’s worth repeating. You can follow me on Twitter and keep up with all sorts of things that will be of interest to anyone who finds this blog interesting. Think of Twitter as a “microblog,” with lots of ideas and links that I would never take the time to post here.
You’ll find me on Twitter at http://twitter.com/edbott.
It’s not just me, apparently:
Over 66 million consumers across demographic categories are using the Internet while camped out on their sofas watching TV, according to market research firm In-Stat. Based on In-Stat’s recent survey, 33% of all male respondents, across age groups, reported that they are sometimes using a personal computer simultaneously while watching TV. Among some male age groups the behavior was as high as 50%. In contrast, about 25% of female respondents reported using a PC while watching TV.
There are only a handful of programs that demand and get my undivided attention. How about you?
Ed Bott 