Windows 7 Release Candidate

As some may know, Microsoft is giving users an opportunity to try out Windows 7 Release Candidate, completely free of charge, to get a taste of things to come before the finished operating system releases sometime this holiday season. Naturally, I've been getting a lot of queries about this, so I wanted to take the time to clarify for those faced with an installation deliberation. So, without further delay...

So, should you install Windows 7 Release Candidate?

A:
That depends on how tech savvy you consider yourself. W7 is essentially an unfinished operating system, and although the early reviews have been generally good, there are still things that can go wrong and hardware/software compatibility issues that can arise. That's why Microsoft has suggested that users do not install Windows 7 on their main computer. Microsoft has also stated that they will not be offering tech support for 7 until it releases proper. So if something goes wrong, you're on your own!

Remember also that to install 7, you must do a fresh install; meaning you will have to back-up, format and re-install everything.

One more thing: Although Windows 7 is free to try out, it's far from a free ride. As of June 1st 2010, all release candidates will start shutting themselves down every two hours. How inconvenient! Guess you'll have to go buy the full version and go through the whole installation process over again!

If you were on the fence before about installing Windows 7 RC, I hope I helped to shove you in a suitable (and safe) direction. It's not for everyone in it's current state, but if you have a second PC sitting around, it might be worth your time to check it out.

~Andrew

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