Gizmodo: release candidate

Windows 7 Release Candidate 1 Available Right Now

Dan Nosowitz — Tue, 05 May 2009 00:00:00 EDT

It's been rumored, it's been confirmed, and now it's here. Windows 7 Release Candidate, valid for a year. [Windows 7]

Windows 7 Release Candidate Won't Expire for More Than a Year

Dan Nosowitz — Fri, 01 May 2009 01:00:00 EDT

That's right, Windows 7 RC has been given an expiration date far ahead in the mists of time: June 1st, 2010, to be exact. So don't be shy about giving it a whirl.

The extra-long lifespan is to encourage people to take their time, read reviews, and not feel rushed to grab a copy before it becomes useless or expensive. There are unlimited keys for the release candidate, so don't fret, and do try it out. [PC World]

Windows 7 Release Candidate for Consumers Arrives May 5th?

Dan Nosowitz — Sat, 18 Apr 2009 17:45:00 EDT

Windows 7, the savior of Microsoft, should see an RC download become available on May 5th, according to an official Microsoft site. Of course, this could just be a slipup.

Apparently the RC should be available right now on MSDN and TechNet, but it's not showing up there or on Windows Connect, so it's possible this is all some kind of typo. But May 5th seems about right for the RC (the final beta before release) to see the light of day, which hopefully would make for a commercial release sometime in mid-summer. Take with a grain of salt, but only the one grain, or it'll be over-salted and unpalatable. [Ars Technica]

Download Windows Vista SP2 Release Candidate Now

Mark Wilson — Thu, 05 Mar 2009 08:47:05 EST

We know, it's not Windows 7, but the Windows Vista Service Pack 2 release candidate is out now (for free) to all Vista users who don't mind playing the guinea pig. [The Windows Blog]

Windows 7 Release Candidate to Be Released April 10th?

Dan Nosowitz — Sat, 21 Feb 2009 17:15:00 EST

Neowin is reporting a date of April 10th for the release of Windows 7 RC, the next important version of the OS. Microsoft confirmed that beta users won't receive the RC before the general public.

Not all that much is known about the next release: it was rumored to be in April, but it's unclear how Neowin came by this particular date. Steven Sinofsky, Senior Vice President of Windows, noted that there will be a broad release, meaning us guinea pigs won't get any bonuses for putting in beta time with 7. Sinofsky also mentioned that Microsoft has received more than 500,000 suggestions from the "send feedback" link alone, and that they're working on user concerns in preparation for the release date of the RC. [Neowin via Ars Technica]

Firefox 3 Release Candidate 1 Now Available

Jack Loftus — Sat, 17 May 2008 13:30:00 EDT

Go kick the tires and light the fires of Firefox 3 Release Candidate 1, which is now available for download at the Mozilla Firefox site. The update delivers a few aesthetic changes, as well as what Mozilla is calling major security enhancements. Users should also expect increased performance and stability for applications like Google Mail. There's an exhaustive list of known bugs to squash too, but that's par for the course with any software. [
Firefox 3 RC1]

Firefox 2.0 RC3 Released: Enhancements or Bloat?

Gizloco — Tue, 17 Oct 2006 12:50:20 EDT

Firefox, the browser that hath taken back the Web, is inching closer to another release milestone, version 2.0. Release candidate 3, or RC3 for the nerds in the house, might well be the last release candidate before version 2.0 officially goes live. What are some of the features you can expect to enjoy (or hate) once you upgrade? I think a jump is in order.

So Firefox 2.0 brings several changes to the Web browser that open source built. Some of the ones you'll immediately notice include:

•New visual theme. Yup, the 'fox looks different all right. Hooray (?)

•Built-in inline spell check. Handled by an extension before, spell check is now bolted onto the Web browser.

•Tab enhancements. Each tab now has an "X" in the top right corner instead of the one "X" in the tab bar. New windows now automatically open in a new tab rather than a separate window.

•Session restore. So far, I've only seen this work after a crash, but basically Firefox remembers all the tabs and windows that were open when things go haywire.

•Better RSS handling. Now you can subscribe to your favorite RSS feeds using either Firefox's built-in reader, a Web service (like Bloglines) or a stand alone application.

Many on the Interweb claim that these enhancements are nothing more than feature creep at its finest. Any opinions on this? – Nicholas Deleon

Download Page [Mozilla.com]