Windows 7 Will Be Free For a Year 528
Barence writes "Microsoft is effectively giving away Windows 7 free for a year with the launch of the Release Candidate. The Release Candidate is now available to MSDN and TechNet subscribers, and will go on unlimited, general release on 5 May. The software will not expire until 1 June 2010, giving testers more than a year's free access to Windows 7. 'It's available to as many people who see fit to use it, although we wouldn't recommend it to just your average user,' John Curran, director of the Windows Client Group told PC Pro. 'We'd very strongly encourage anyone on the beta to move to the Release Candidate.'"
Re:Offline Gaming machine (Score:1, Informative)
Re:XP Free for a year? (Score:2, Informative)
If you do the ultimate, you should be able to download it.
It's for business and ultimate only, plus you need to be able to do hardware virtualization as well, so my work PC isn't able to, my boss picked the wrong processor to buy us... only one in the line that doesn't do it.
its not free (Score:2, Informative)
MSDN and technet require very expensive subscriptions (never mind the absurdity of paying to test another companies apps)
and does this apply to the public beta testers who dont have the luxury of handing over thousands to test Microsofts apps ?
Re:its not free (Score:4, Informative)
Re:its not free (Score:5, Informative)
The public beta will be out May 5th [winsupersite.com]. Paying for MSDN or Technet gets you early access. I wouldn't have a Technet account except my work got it as part of their MS license deal.
Re:Fishing (Score:4, Informative)
*sigh*
At least pick an addictive drug next time.
Re:Fascinating (Score:3, Informative)
Who doesn't keep all their data on a seperate drive these days? I mean yeah I download crap to the desktop to filter later, but anything I might keep for more than 60 days is immediately saved to the D: drive. Virus? No problem, just reinstall windows + specific apps. 2 hours down the drain, but you know your virus problem is nixed. Windows 7 RC expired? Just re-install XP.
Re:Good idea (Score:2, Informative)
I think it's a good thing. Consider:
1/ User buys PC with Vista. Thinks Windows is free ('came with my PC')
2/ User not entirely happy with Vista for whatever reason or wants shiny new release.
3/ User upgrades to Win7
4/ User happy for 1 year.
5/ User has to pay $$$ to continue using Win7
6/ User now understands that Windows is *not* free.
Very educational.
Re:Fishing (Score:3, Informative)
Re:MSDN Isn't Free (Score:2, Informative)
Re:XP Free for a year? (Score:5, Informative)
Yes.
"We will be soon releasing the beta of Windows XP Mode and Windows Virtual PC for Windows 7 Professional and Windows 7 Ultimate."
http://windowsteamblog.com/blogs/business/archive/2009/04/24/coming-soon-windows-xp-mode-and-windows-virtual-pc.aspx [windowsteamblog.com]
"As part of the upcoming Windows 7 Release Candidate milestone, Microsoft will release a beta version of Windows XP Mode"
http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/features/2009/Apr09/04-28Win7QA.mspx [microsoft.com]
What makes this new? (Score:3, Informative)
Um, they did the same thing with Vista. The RC was public and came with a year expiration also.
Not only that, but going to the launch expos they had across the country, they passed out free Vista "RTM" discs (confusing because it was not the actual OEM or retail disc) with another year license (plus a full license to Office 2k7).
Re:I always had my suspicions... (Score:1, Informative)
it's Déjà vu
havn't I already said this today?
Re:Errr.. (Score:3, Informative)
Ah, I see.
So basically, it isn't a release candidate as there is no chance of it being released 'as is'.
No wonder people don't trust their programming, they can't even get the terminology right.
I installed it a couple of days ago. (Score:3, Informative)
I'm quite impressed with it.
It's a huge step up from vista.
I particularly like the action center.
they already had me.. (Score:3, Informative)
Microsoft already had me at "Mark Russinovich is windows 7 principal architect".
I was given that 'june 1st' date, but it was supposed to be june 1st 2009, not 2010.
Background goes black on june 1st, and starting july 1st, reboot each two hours. (insert bluescreen joke here)
Re:MSDN Isn't Free (Score:3, Informative)
The RC is only available via TechNet/MSDN until Tuesday. After that it's available to the general public.
Re:Fascinating (Score:2, Informative)
Damn straight.
I have 7 RC installed on a very very very underpowered Lenovo laptop, the kind of thing that ran Ubuntu with a struggle. 7 however, is very fluid, even the fancypants aero effects, with the transparencies work.
I think Microsoft just may be onto the next XP here.
Re:Free with "minor" caveats (Score:2, Informative)
Oddly enough, I get updates to my existing Windows 7 Beta, so I don't see why I wouldn't with the RC.
Re:Good idea (Score:4, Informative)
Again, ~90% of the market.
If I could put that in bold 72pt flashing courier, I would. You cannot not develop for 90% of the market because you don't like their OS. This (the unwarranted elitism) is a sickness, and it's endemic to the free software community. Whether or not you like Windows/Microsoft makes precisely zero difference. If you want to be mainstream, you cater to those in the mainstream. If you want to be a pathetic niche, that's fine, nobody will stop you. But when your tunnel vision gets so strong that you equate people using the dominant PC/OS setup as "not really that relevant", you harm yourself, and you harm everyone that tries to rely on the work you do.
Re:Fascinating (Score:1, Informative)
Not true, Microsoft has already said that you will be able to upgrade from the RC to the released version, but you will have to edit a config file to bypass the version check.
http://blogs.msdn.com/e7/archive/2009/04/07/delivering-a-quality-upgrade-experience.aspx [msdn.com]