Windows 7 Hits RTM At Build 7600.16385
An anonymous reader links to Ars Technica's report that (quoting) "Microsoft today announced that Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2 have hit the Release to Manufacturing (RTM) milestone. The software giant still has a lot of work to do, but the bigger responsibility now falls to OEMs that must get PCs ready, Independent Software Vendors (ISVs) that are testing their new apps, and Independent Hardware Vendors (IHVs) that are preparing their new hardware. The RTM build is 7600, but it is not the same one that leaked less than two weeks ago (7600.16384). We speculated that Microsoft may end up recompiling build 7600 until it is satisfied, but it only took the company one more shot to get it right: 7600.16385 is the final build number. Microsoft refused to share the full build string, but if you trust leaks from a few days ago, it's '6.1.7600.16385.090713-1255,' which indicates that the final build was compiled over a week ago: July 13, 2009, at 12:45pm. This would be in line with the rumored RTM date but it is also the day Microsoft stated that Windows 7 had not yet hit RTM. Although the final build had been compiled, Microsoft still had to put it through testing before christening it as RTM."
I suppose it's true to the idea that 7 is "just a Vista service pack," but still seems odd.
No, if they REALLY wanted to rip off Apple they would cut the price of Win 7 down to almost nothing, but then force you to run it on hardware that would have been cutting edge last year that you can only buy from them at nearly twice it's value.
Then they can offer all kinds of accessories to their zombies... I mean customers... Like a 1TB SATA ""Cable-free"" drive for $299.00 USD
http://store.apple.com/us/product/MB984ZM/A?fnode=MTY1NDA0Nw&mco=NDE4NTE5Mg