Windows 7 RC Date Officially Confirmed

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Mark your calendars, Microsoft has given us the official Windows 7 RC date

It’s official. Finally. Windows 7 Release Candidate will be publically available for your testing purposes – for FREE – on May 5.

This shouldn’t come as a big surprise as Microsoft accidentally leaked a download page listing May 5 as a date for the download, with MSDN and TechNet subscribers getting it a little bit earlier. Today, we’ve learned about that date as well.

Windows Communications Manager Brandon LeBlanc wrote on the Windows Team Blog, “I’m pleased to share that the RC is on track for April 30th for download by MSDN and TechNet subscribers. Broader, public availability will begin on May 5th.”

The Release Candidate incorporates many changes and fixes since beta build 7000, partially thanks to feedback from millions of testers. LeBlanc said that at the peak of the feed back cycle, the team was receiving a “send feedback” report every 15 seconds.

To read more about some of the changes in the RC since the beta, check out the links below:

Marcus Yam
Marcus Yam
Marcus Yam served as Tom's Hardware News Director during 2008-2014. He entered tech media in the late 90s and fondly remembers the days when an overclocked Celeron 300A and Voodoo2 SLI comprised a gaming rig with the ultimate street cred.
39 Comments Comment from the forums
  • ll nerdy ll
    what does rc mean?
    Reply
  • kyeana
    ^Release Candidate

    Happy days
    Reply
  • kyeana
    Now the next question is Ubuntu 9.04 or Windows 7 RC1 for my laptop...
    Reply
  • kodamakage
    RC means: release candidate
    Reply
  • jhansonxi
    A Microsoft "Release Candidate" is roughly equivalent to what other companies call and "Alpha".
    Reply
  • kyeana
    ^Alpha testing actually comes before the Beta testing
    Reply
  • christop
    So will this be a download on Microsoft site?
    Reply
  • i would never touch window if i knew how to use ubunto.

    installing ubunto isnt the problem for me its installing every thing else.
    Reply
  • tester3000
    kyeanaNow the next question is Ubuntu 9.04 or Windows 7 RC1 for my laptop...I'd go with Windows 7 RC. I just feel that linux doesn't have a firm place in the market as a primary OS. You will miss some things from Windows 7
    Reply
  • kyeana
    ^Very true, however i mostly do coding on that laptop and i absolutely love the multiple workspaces feature that ubuntu has. Great for organization.
    Reply