The leaked Windows 7 build 7057 is tagged "Release Candidate", suggesting that Microsoft is working furiously towards that early release. Interesting new touches in this build.
Another week, another leak of a new build of Windows 7 has hit the net. Tagged as the Release Candidate, this suggests that Microsoft has now finished adding new features and is concentrating on fixing the remaining compatibility and other issues.
Early news suggests that the developers have had another stab at fixing User Account Control, fixed gripes about the Superbar and added more final art to the system, with updated graphics on the loading and shut down screens (see below).
One reason for the leak could be to get a reaction from users to see if they like the new style. If there's a positive one, it (or some similar but kept under wraps 'official' art) might make it to release, if not you can bet the next version will go back to a plainer art style. What do you think? Sure, it will barely register to hardcore users, but little art touches here and there make the general computing public feel warm inside and more attached to their systems.
It will take a day or two for the underground testing community to grab the file from BitTorrent sites and tear through the OS build and find out what else in new, improved and updated.
The expiry date of this version is the end of March 2010 which must be the absolutely last date that Windows 7 will be out by, but all indications, particularly seeing the Release Candidate tag, are that Microsoft is pushing for an early as possible release.