Windows 7 Release Candidate, get it here

After a few server ups and downs, on May 5, US Pacific Time, Microsoft finally threw the switch for Windows 7 RC. While there is a bit of a wait for the Product Key page to pop up, things do seem to be running reasonably quickly. As with everything Microsoft, there is a new catch. Recent posts have indicated you can play with it for a year, but while it doesn't expire until June 1, 2010, it will start shutting down every few hours from March 1, to give you a gentle nudge to go and buy a copy.

You can pick the 2.5GB file up here. This time, there is no limit to the number of downloads, or registration keys, available. So, no rush. Aside from the time limit, there is little reason to not give the OS a go, if you have a spare PC. Even the driver issues mentioned in our recent article, have been fixed.


Enjoy the smell of freshly baked operating systems

Whereas with previous versions you could choose which edition of the OS to install, this time you get Ultimate and nothing else. This will allow you to try out features like XP Mode, even if you don't fancy buying a business version when the RC starts to expire.

Also out is Windows Server 2008, and Microsoft is encouraging testers to try them together, if you work in a suitable environment to experience them running in tandem; "Windows Server 2008 R2 has many features that are designed to specifically work with client computers running Windows 7, including simplifying remote connectivity for corporate computers by using the DirectAccess feature, Secured remote connectivity for private and public computers by using a combination of the Remote Workspace, Presentation Virtualization, and Remote Desktop Services Gateway features, and Improved performance for branch offices by using the BranchCache feature."