Windows 7 has not yet hit the Release to Manufacturing (RTM) milestone. When Windows 7 build 7600 and Windows Server 2008 R2 build 7600 began to leak
yesterday many believed that this meant Microsoft had reached its goal of RTM. We posted about it but noted that it wasn't worth jumping to conclusions until we had the official word from Microsoft. Now, the
Windows 7 Team Blog is denying the rumors:
We are close, but have not yet signed off on Windows 7. When we RTM you will most certainly hear it here. As we’ve said all along, we will RTM Windows 7 when it’s ready. As previously stated, we expect Windows 7 to RTM in the 2nd half of July. Windows 7 will be available in many languages from around the world. For us to consider RTM “done”, it requires that all languages be completely finished.
So there is a lot of work that needs to take place for us to finalize all languages of Windows 7. We also need to get to a point of “global readiness” with our partners. Our partners being ready for Windows 7 is extremely important to RTM.
Even if the final build number is 7600, it is not yet ready for prime time. Microsoft may end up recompiling it a few times, or it may end up giving out a completely new build. In any case, whatever you get your hands on now are not the final RTM bits. A little more patience is necessary!
The RTM build is expected to be given out to Microsoft partners sometime later this month and launched on
October 22, 2009, the day General Availability (GA). MSDN and TechNet subscribers will get it a few weeks after RTM is announced and Volume Licensing customers will get it
in September.
Update
Windows 7 was supposed to hit RTM today according to a rumor from
earlier this month. This rumor was on the dollar, according to
a July 13 transcript from Microsoft: "This morning we will release Windows 7 to manufacturing, and we write that next chapter, we go after that opportunity," Bill Veghte, senior vice president of Windows Business, reporetedly said.
It looks like someone sent out an old draft copy of a transcript for the keynote taking place the Microsoft Worldwide Partner Group. Oops. Get your facts straight Microsoft!
