 |  | | May 5, 2009 | | | | | You are receiving this newsletter as a benefit of your organization's partnership agreement with Microsoft. | | | | A big thanks to everyone who participated in the Windows 7 Beta program. Your feedback was invaluable to Windows 7 engineering teams and has helped make Windows 7 the best Microsoft operating system to date. So far the beta has received very favorable reviews, like this one from CNET. The beta's success has encouraged many companies to decide to migrate to Windows 7 upon release to market. Because the anticipation for the Windows 7 full release is so high, we believe the business opportunity for partners is unprecedented. So, we couldn't be more excited to bring you the next phase in Microsoft's march toward the final release of this operating system. The RC is publicly available— download it now. Get started with Windows 7 today—and get a head start when it comes to conversations with your customers about their platform and software options. What's new in Windows 7 RC In addition to improvements in operating speed, navigation, taskbar, and security, Windows 7 RC has a number of brand-new features we think your customers will be pleased with: | | Windows XP Mode enables Windows 7 Professional users to seamlessly run many Windows XP applications in Windows 7. The Windows XP Mode feature is designed to help small businesses that are still using older Windows XP applications to move painlessly to Windows 7. Note: Windows XP Mode is a special download in addition to the RC. Install Windows XP Mode Beta. | | | Remote Media Streaming enables users to access home-based digital media libraries over the Internet from another Windows 7 PC outside the home in a security-enhanced manner. | | Readiness Resources | | | | | Windows 7 Partner Readiness Day Join us May 7 for a live, no-cost, virtual event. Microsoft executives and product experts will be on hand to answer your questions, to provide an overview of industry trends and the impact of Windows 7 on the marketplace, and to discuss next steps. Assess your business opportunity with Windows 7. Register today to reserve your spot. | | Some Technical Details | | You have a limited time to test Windows 7. To avoid functional interruption, you must rebuild your test machine with a valid version of your previous Windows operating system before the RC software expires. Windows will notify you that the expiration process is beginning, and two weeks later your PC will begin shutting down every two hours. The beta expires August 1, 2009, and bihourly shutdowns will begin July 1, 2009. The RC will expire June 1, 2010, and bihourly shutdowns will begin March 1, 2010. In both cases, you'll have to rebuild your test PC to restore the operating system and reinstall all your programs and data. | | | Path to RC. If you are running Windows 7 Beta or Windows XP, you must back up your data (preferably to an external device) and then do a clean installation of Windows 7 RC. After installing Windows 7 RC, you must reinstall applications and restore your files. If you are running the Windows Vista operating system, you can simply upgrade to Windows 7 RC. (Learn more about installing Windows—guidelines for installing the beta apply equally to the RC.) | |  Recommend Windows 7 to your customers and help them get ready for the coming full release. While some of your customers may choose to wait for the release-to-manufacturing version and migrate straight from Windows XP, others may find compelling economic reasons to take the Windows Vista migration path. Be ready to support them as necessary. | | Tell us what you love about the Windows 7 RC on Twitter (refer to #windows7raves in your post). | | | | |
| | | | Visit the Microsoft Partner Program Portal. © 2009 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved. Microsoft, Internet Explorer, MSDN, Windows, Windows Live, and Windows Vista are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and/or other countries. All other trademarks are property of their respective owners. Trouble accessing a Microsoft Partner Portal link? You may be signed in with another Windows Live ID not associated with the Partner Program. Sign out of any other Windows Live ID-enabled sites, and then sign in with the credentials used to enroll in the Microsoft Partner Program. If you still cannot open the link, please contact our support team. You will receive a response within 72 hours. Newsletter Legal InformationThis newsletter was sent by: Microsoft Corporation One Microsoft Way Redmond, Washington, USA 98052 | | | | | |
