Microsoft has confirmed the release candidate of its new operating system, Windows 7, is on track for a release date of April 30.
The eagerly awaited Windows 7 Release Candidate 1 will be posted to members of Microsoft’s Developer Network and TechNet for download on April 30. RC1 will be made generally available on May 5, Microsoft said late Friday.
In a post to a company blog, Woodgate said the add-on is part of the pitch to convince businesses to migrate to Windows 7. “All you need to do is to install suitable applications directly in Windows XP Mode,” said Woodgate. “The applications will be published to the Windows 7 desktop and then you can run them directly from Windows 7.”
According to the SuperSite report, written by bloggers Paul Thurrott and Rafael Rivera, the XP mode won’t come in the box with Windows 7, but will be made available as a free download for those who buy the professional, enterprise, or “ultimate” versions of Windows 7.
Microsoft also appended a clarification about the Windows Easy Transfer feature for synchronizing data between PCs, saying that it would work only on PCs running Windows 7, or the Windows 7 version of Windows Easy Transfer (which has to be installed manually on Vista and XP PCs
Users will find many welcome additions to personalization options, including substantially more themes, more user icons, and new sound effects. New Aero Themes (they’re no longer called Windows Themes) include Architecture, Scenes, and Characters, and you’ll find 36 user icons rather than the 12 included in the beta. The aged Device Manager and the Control Panel have gained new icons as well, but more important, if you pin the Control Panel to the Taskbar, you’ll note a very versatile new jump list. As you play with these “smart” jump lists, they become more and more useful, learning the most recently or most commonly opened files
Microsoft would offer XPM when it ships Windows 7, Woodgate promised that a beta of the new add-on would be released “soon” for Windows 7, presumably on or near the launch of Windows 7 Release Candidate (RC)
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