Ready to 
Windows 7 hits RTM milestone
Robert Hallock
July 22, 2009 7:19 PM ET in Tech
Hell, we were wrong. Microsoft has announced today that Windows 7 has received the RTM signoff and is on its way to OEMs, IHVs and ISVs who must now prepare their ecosystem of products for the October 22 launch.
The straight skinny
Build number: 7600.16835
Build string: 6.1.7600.16385.090713-1255
Compile date: July 13, 2009 @ 12:55 PM
Distribution timeline
August 6: Independent software vendors (ISVs) and Independent Hardware Vendors (IHVs) will have access through the MSDN or Microsoft Connect portals.
August 6: TechNet and Microsoft Developer Network (MSDN) subscribers will have access through their respective TechNet or MSDN portals.
August 7: Volume licensees in the Software Assurance program will have access via the Volume License Service Center.
August 16: Microsoft Partner Program Gold and Certified members will have access via the Microsoft Partner Network (MPN) portal.
August 23: Microsoft Action Pack subscribers will have access via the Microsoft Partner Network (MPN) portal.
October 22: Windows 7 reaches general availability and can be purchased in the retail channel.
Editions
For individuals who simply must have the very best, a Windows 7 Ultimate edition is on the way, though it is destined for limited availability. You can expect this SKU to arrive on crème de la crème rigs from the likes of Voodoo/HP, Falcon Northwest, or exceptionally high-end Dell XPS models. Despite its enthusiast value proposition, this edition actually offers little in the way of compelling new features. Drive encryption, app encryption, branch cache, and direct access are probably of menial value to the hardcore amongst us.
A Windows 7 Enterprise edition is also on deck. It is identical to Windows 7 Ultimate, except for the addition of volume licensing. Volume licensing allows administrators to purchase a single key for a large, or unlimited number of Windows installations. The infamous FCKGW-RHQQ2 key for the DEVILS0WN edition of Windows XP was a volume licensed edition of Windows.
Other editions include Windows 7 Home Basic and Windows 7 Starter, both of which may never hit Western markets outside of dirt cheap netbooks. These feature-light versions of Windows 7 are being specifically positioned to cater to slightly varied pricepoints in emerging markets.
All of these versions are to ship on the same DVD, meaning that each expected SKU will have their own unique subset of the Windows 7 serial number. Users looking to upgrade their version will no longer require the special upgrade DVD as was the case with Vista.
“SIX VERSIONS? OMG WHY‽“
While Microsoft has indeed spun six separate versions of Windows, an overwhelming majority of the customers will only be presented the choice between Home Premium and Professional. Enthusiasts, students, businesses, academia and administrators are best fitted with Windows 7 Professional, while your average residential customer will be just fine with Home Premium.
In fact, we’re going to go out on a limb and say that Windows 7 Ultimate may only appear in retail on that bizarrely out of place boutique rig that sits at the very end of a far-off shelf in some Best Buys. You know the machine we’re talking about. It’s the one customers are drawn to until their $800 PC world view is shattered by the $2000 beast that can tear a hole in the time/space continuum.
Pricing
While Microsoft has offered preorders in both the United States and in the EU, limited availability and outrageous sales rates have probably ended the programs in your region. The following prices will be in effect on the October 22 launch, while UK and greater EU prices are in effect only until December 31.
End of the line
The enthusiast community has meticulously tracked the Windows 7 development process and has had nothing but praise and good mojo to offer along the way. It’s not hard to see why: Windows 7 is faster, cheaper and more efficient than its maligned predecessor. In just two short years — and months ahead of schedule — Microsoft has left Vista in the dust and cranked out the best OS it has produced since Windows XP in 2001.
The masses will soon have a crack at the house that Steven Sinofsky’s brilliant and rewarded leadership has built. Until then, keep your browser tuned to Icrontic for all the latest news, tips and tricks to prepare you for Windows 7’s official launch on October 22.
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