Starting today, subscribers can download a "release-to-manufacturing" (RTM) copy of Windows 7 in English, according to Microsoft's . Versions in other languages will be available October 1st.
Microsoft's Volume License (VL) customers with a Software Assurance license will be able to download Windows 7 RTM in English starting Friday, with editions in other languages coming "in a few weeks." VL customers without an SA license can also grab an RTM copy early, although they'll have to wait until September 1st.
If you're not a developer, IT pro, or volume buyer, how can you get your hands on a copy before the official October 22 launch?
Beta testers who participated in Microsoft's Technical Beta Program--an invitation-only affair--can grab via the beta software site.
For rest of us, the remaining options are limited. You could order Windows 7 now, of course, but it won't arrive until sometime near October 22. Or you could stroll the Internet's dark alleyways and download a pirated copy of Windows 7 RTM, but we're not recommending that option. Recent reports indicate that in July.
For a free test drive of Windows 7, you might want to download the . It may not be the final version, but it's pretty close. You better hurry, however, as the RC download is available only until August 20.
As test drives go, the RC is a marathon tour. It expires on June 1, 2010, and will shut down every two hours starting March 1, 2010. That's plenty of time to decide if a .Contact Jeff Bertolucci via Twitter () or at .