Windows 7 RC Stress Testing Begins
When Microsoft released a near-final version of Windows 7 on Wednesday, it did so with the awareness that it doesn't want to repeat the same mistakes it made with Windows Vista. In part, that means more testing and earlier engagement with the IT crowd.
The Release Candidate offered on Wednesday is closer to what Microsoft will release as final code than Release Candidates have been during previous Windows release cycles, and Microsoft hopes to double the number of IT pros testing Windows 7 for free during the Release Candidate phase.
"Our big call to action for IT pros is, 'Hey, go run Windows 7 and see how easy it is to install, does it work with the applications you use every day,' " Gavriella Schuster, senior director for Windows product management, said in an interview. "From our perspective, we are fundamentally redefining the quality that we require for release. [Windows VP] Steven [Sinofsky] has taken the stance throughout the development process that we're going to be much clearer, crisper, and we're going to require more testing. There's a much more restrictive exit criteria from each milestone."
