The public test of RC1 will involve more than five million users and will dramatically increase the availability of Windows Vista to millions of new users -- more than doubling the size of its initial Beta 2 Customer Preview Program (CPP). That program involved 1.5 million users.

RC1, which was made available to a small number of technical beta testers on Friday, will be made available to the 1.5 million CPP participants this week. After the release candidate has been made available to existing CPP participants, the program will be opened to new users. In addition, RC1 will be posted to MSDN and TechNet, where subscribers can download it. Microsoft will also include cover mounts of RC1 on magazines worldwide.

The widespread testing of RC1 is being done to help Microsoft meet a January 2007 deadline for getting Windows Vista into the hands of consumers, and a November 2006 deadline for getting it into the hands of volume license customers. Having millions of new users test the operating system will help Microsoft track down bugs, and ensure that Vista works with as wide a range of hardware as possible. A desktop link in RC1 allows testers to easily send feedback and bug reports to Microsoft.

RC1 will work until May 31, 2007, after which it will time out. Microsoft will issue updates and patches to RC1 until it is released to manufacturing, at which time the operating system is considered finished, and the manufacturing and distribution process will begin.

Pricing for Vista