Coming Soon – Final Release of Windows XP Mode "Thanks to everyone’s feedback, we’re happy to announce that Windows XP Mode has RTM’d today. We expect to make the final release of Windows XP Mode available via the Microsoft Download Center on October 22nd." blogs/windows7/archive/2009/10/01/coming-soon
The Windows 7 Logo Program "The Compatible With Windows 7 Logo is designed to help customers make better purchase decisions by identifying products that have passed Microsoft designed tests for compatibility and reliability with Windows 7." http://windowsteamblog.com/blogs/windows7/archive/2009/09.aspx
Student Offer for Windows 7 "For a limited time, we are offering the LOWEST PRICE ($29.99 in the US) for Windows 7 exclusively to college and university students." Read the complete article here: blogs/windows7/archive/2009/09/17/student-offer-for-windows-7.aspx Windows 7 - How long does it take to upgrade your computer? "The tests were designed to measure total upgrade time simulating different user profiles (with different data set sizes, number of programs installed and settings) against different hardware profiles." Based on the time to upgrade measurements it would not be uncommon for most users to require two to three hours. Read Chris Hernandez's Blog for the full details. .chris_hernandez/archive/2009/09/02/windows-7-upgrade-performance.aspx Windows 7 plus Intel’s new Core i7 and i5 processors
Perfect timing for Intel and could be a perfect match for Windows 7 computers. With lower prices, lower power consumption, a new chipset and performance that nearly equals the older Core i7 9xx series. This combination will leave the older Intel Exxxx Dual Core and Qxxxx Quad Core series processors behind in the dust. Want to learn more, then go to ExtremeTech for the full details. Don’t let the technical details scare you off, just skim over the parts that don’t interest you.
August 24th Windows 7 European "E" versions discontinued.
Family Pack Update.
"Under this new proposal, customers in Europe who buy a new Windows PC with Internet Explorer set as their default browser would be shown a “ballot screen.” Through this ballot screen, people can easily download and install the browser of their choice from the web." "As the result of our new proposal, as announced on July 31, we will no longer offer E versions of Windows 7 in retail, OEM or other channels. European Economic Community countries will have the same version of Windows 7 as the rest of the world." Read the full blog: blogs/windows7/archive/2009/08/24/update-on-windows-7-in-europe.aspx
Windows 7 Family Pack: Install Windows 7 Home Premium on up to 3 PCs Pricing will be $149.99 for 3 Windows 7 Home Premium
Windows XP Mode RC Now Available According to Brandon LeBlanc of the Windows 7 Blog Team "The newly updated Windows XP Mode now works with the RC and RTM versions of the Windows 7 Professional, Ultimate and Enterprise SKUs." This anouncement comes just 2 days before the RTM is made available to Microsoft's TechNet Plus subscribers.
New Features in Windows XP Mode RC Based on feedback from the Windows XP Mode beta, we’ve made several improvements to the usability of Windows XP Mode for small and medium-sized business users.
* You can now attach USB devices to Windows XP Mode applications directly from the Windows 7 task-bar. This means your USB devices, such as printers and flash drives, are available to applications running in Windows XP Mode, without the need to go into full screen mode. * You can now access Windows XP Mode applications with a “jump-list”. Right click on the Windows XP Mode applications from the Windows 7 task bar to select and open most recently used files. * You now have the flexibility of customizing where Windows XP Mode differencing disk files are stored. * You can now disable drive sharing between Windows XP Mode and Windows 7 if you do not need that feature. * The initial setup now includes a new user tutorial about how to use Windows XP Mode.
July 31st Windows 7 Anytime Upgade Microsoft's Brandon LeBlanc reveals price structure 1) Windows 7 Starter to Windows 7 Home Premium: $79.99 2) Windows 7 Home Premium to Windows 7 Professional: $89.99 3) Windows 7 Home Premium to Windows 7 Ultimate: $139.99 Most likely the best and more popular option will be the Home Premium to Windows 7 Professional upgrade, which includes Windows XP Mode. The extra $50.00 for Windows 7 Ultimate only gives you two additional features, bitlocker (for increased security) and the ability to switch between any of 35 languages.