Windows 7 on release fast track

Windows 7 is being fast-tracked to market by skipping the usual Beta 2 phase and going straight through to the pre-launch Release Candidate stage.

But Microsoft stresses in a blog that this does not signal a change in the final launch schedule, slated for the end of this year or early 2010.

Response to the Beta 1 release has been generally positive 1, and Microsoft says many people have move all their machines to the new operating system.

Drivers and software products that work with Vista should work with Win7, says the Microsoft blog, though hardware and software vendors are already fielding optimisations.

But it implies that there have been some conflicts: "Many of the anti-virus vendors already have released compatibility packs or updates that are automatically applied to your running installation."