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Windows 7 Will Be Free For a Year
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.'"
Even if you find a way to keep it going by hacking out the time-bomb or setting the date back you still wouldn't have a license to use the software after the 1 year expiration date comes and goes. If you're going to use unlicensed software you might as go in whole-hog and take a copy from wherever torrent sites kids hang out these days. If the penalties for software piracy scare you then consider shoplifting: first offense is community service hours, and that's only if you're caught. If the software is good enough to go through the hassle of screwing around like that then it's worth paying for. If it's not, there are perfectly servicable options from other vendors including various flavors of Linux, BeOS^WHaiku, BSD, Solaris, OS X, etc. There's no need to get your children hooked on Windows before they're in the first grade.
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.
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 ?
*sigh*
At least pick an addictive drug next time.
"People who do stupid things with hazardous materials often die." -- Jim Davidson on alt.folklore.urban
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.
moox. for a new generation.
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.
Depends how you smoke it. Often people mix cannabis with tobacco and end up addicted to nicotine. They often then believe that the craving is for for a while cannabis, until they discover that a normal cigarette will work just as well. I know a few people who got hooked on smoking like this, which makes one wonder why tobacco is legal and cannabis isn't.
I am TheRaven on Soylent News
as previously pointed out the public launch is on May 5th, which will not require a MSDN subscription to access the RC.
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
"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
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).
it's Déjà vu
havn't I already said this today?
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.
The disappearing pencil trick. Let me show you it.
I'm quite impressed with it.
It's a huge step up from vista.
I particularly like the action center.
They're using their grammar skills there.
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)
Nouvelles de jeux et technologies en français. TC
The RC is only available via TechNet/MSDN until Tuesday. After that it's available to the general public.
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.
Oddly enough, I get updates to my existing Windows 7 Beta, so I don't see why I wouldn't with the RC.
The price is always right if someone else is paying.
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.
Just another "DOJ fascist authoritarian totalitarian bootlicker" -- Zeio
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