It will be three months before Windows 7 hits the shelves preloaded on PCs, but the vast ecosystem that supports Windows will, we hope, be in action long before that. The RTM or Release To Manufacturing version -- official announcement expected shortly -- should be the cue for the industry to get down to some serious preparation.
According to the Windows Team Blog, "ISV (Independent software vendor) and IHV (Independent hardware vendor) Partners will be able to download Windows 7 RTM from Microsoft Connect or MSDN on August 6th". This gives them some time to test and qualify how their software and hardware works with the release version of the new operating system, though most of the work should already have been done using betas.
Microsoft has a Ready Set. 7 site to help.
IT Professionals with TechNet Subscriptions will also be able to download Windows 7 RTM in English on the same day, with help at Springboard (http://www.microsoft.com/springboard). Others will get the code later. The blog post says:
Microsoft Partner Program Gold/Certified Members will be able to download Windows 7 RTM in English through the Microsoft Partner Network (MPN) Portal on August 16th. By October 1st, the remaining languages will become available to download.
Microsoft Action Pack Subscribers will be about to download Windows 7 RTM in English starting August 23rd. By October 1st, the remaining languages will become available to download.
Beta testers don't get a free copy of Windows 7, but Microsoft reckons more than 40% of them are IT Professionals, and they'll be able to get an evaluation copy from Springboard.
You can expect Microsoft to put a lot of energy into priming its vast ecosystem -- more than 640,000 partners -- following the problems with Windows Vista at its launch. Even with several years to prepare, many had not adapted their software to work correctly with User Account Control (leading to too many useless popups) or write decent drivers or figure out how to install it properly. (When correctly installed. Vista boots in about 40 seconds -- and with Quickboot and a ReadyDrive, it can be done in 24 seconds.) Microsoft, of course, takes the blame.
If the Vista lessons have been learned then, with Windows 7, things should go a bit more smoothly.
