But if you are going to buy a new PC with Windows 7 pre-loaded, why don’t you try an AIO? An All-in-One (AIO) PC basically consists of three components – the monitor which has an integrated CPU, the keyboard and the mouse. AIOs have started gaining popularity due to two main major factors – they look sexy and they save space. It is also worth noting that the concept of an AIO was first given by Apple with their iMac. So here we present you some of the best AIOs available in the market currently:-

5. Sony Vaio VGCJS410F/S

This AIO from Sony has Intel’s Pentium E5400 clocked at 2.7 GHz along with 4GB of DDR2 RAM giving it enough juice to carry out your tasks efficiently, although the processor will surely hamper it. 320 GB of disk space is given for storing all your files while for graphics there is Intel’s X4500 HD graphics. The monitor is 20.1 inch and has a screen resolution of 1680*1050. The camera with face tracking technology is also included. This system, meanwhile runs the 64 bit edition of Windows 7 Home Premium. No Bluetooth, and touch screen support are a disappointment but the low price is well, okay.

Price: $849.99

Purchase it!

4. Sony Vaio VGCJS450F/S

Forgive me for my fascination with Sony’s AIOs, but their products are just so beautiful. Anyways this one is similar to product number 5 on this list with the only exception being  the addition of 500 GB of disk space – 180 GB more than the previous model, Bluetooth 2.1. and Blu-Ray support. Well, these additions are really worthwhile and so, this product finds a place on this list.

Price: $999.99

Purchase it!

3. Dell Studio One 19

The Dell Studio One 19 looks like an over sized tablet when you first look at it, but on the second look, it doesn’t fail to impress. Available in four colors: White, Charcoal, Navy Blue and Tuscan Red, the top end model features a 18.5 inch touch screen, with a screen resolution of 1366*768 and a 16:9 aspect ratio, which is more than enough for your 720p HD movies, all of which can be dumped on this model’s spacious 640 GB hard drive along with all your documents and games. To play all those games and movies, you can safely rely on its Intel Core 2 Quad Q8200 processor clocked at 2.33 GHz and 4 GB of DDR2 RAM while the integrated Nvidia Geforce 9400 graphics are good enough for moderate gameplay. The integrated webcam and the multi-touch capabilities of this device make it one of the best AIOs available. This top end model also includes within its price, Dell’s 2 year Basic Service Plan and Windows 7 Home Premium 64 bit.

Price: $1199

Purchase it!

2. Sony Vaio VPCL111FX/B

This VPCL111FX/B has a Intel Pentium E5400 processor clocked at 2.7 Ghz and has been coupled with 4 GB of DDR2 RAM, to give you the best performance. For storage, there is 320 GB while for graphics there is Nvidia Geforce G210M having 512 MB of dedicated VRAM. The monitor is 24 inch and has a 1920*1080 resolution which allows you to watch full HD movies. Bluetooth 2.1, Wi-Fi support, Blu-Ray is all there but only the processor is a disappointment in this wonderful machine otherwise running Windows 7 Home Premium 64 bit.

Price: $1299.99

Purchase it!

1. Sony Vaio VPCL116FX/B

This Vaio, also described as a HDTV, is although available only in Black color, features Intel’s Core 2 Quad Q8400S processor clocked at 2.66 GHz along with 6 GB of DDR2 RAM which will be more than enough for all your memory intensive tasks. The hard drive is 500 GB is although less, considering it may store a lot of 1080p movies. It has been correctly described as a HDTV as it integrates a Blu-Ray player, TV Tuner card and a remote. A wall mount option is also given. The monitor featuring a 24 inch touchscreen has a 1920*1080 resolution, which means that you can watch all your 1080p movies on it. For gaming, it has the Nvidia Geforce GT 240M, which has 1 GB VRAM dedicated totally to it. Apart from all this, it features an integrated camera with a 640*480 inch resolution, Bluetooth 2.1 and Wi-Fi.

Price: $1799.99

Purchase it!

Rise of Netbooks

Netbooks or low-spec notebooks came into this world due to Asus and their original EEE PC which debuted in late 2007. That PC used the free open-source OS, Linux, came with low specifications and had a low price. It was a hit and netbooks started to gain prominence among the average customer. They began to be viewed as secondary machines having low specs but compensating for that by being low cost. Soon they began to be offered by every manufacturer. It became essential for them, to offer netbooks if they had to increase their sales and weather the downturn successfully. In fact, this is one of the reasons why, Acer has jumped to the second position in the global PC market scaling Dell.

Result

If netbooks are becoming popular, then this means that their market share is also gradually growing and if their market share is growing then the components and the software inside them is also experiencing an increase in market share. This is one of the main reason why netbooks are becoming important for both manufacturers and consumers, and as a result components designed specially for them are being designed and sold. If you take the case of micro-processors, there was no set processor for early netbooks as they required extremely low power and at that time the processors available offered poor performance. Intel recognized this opportunity and created Atom, its low power, low cost processor which was just right for web surfing, making/viewing presentations and light work for which netbooks were originally made. Atom became a hit, and today, most of the netbooks in the market have an Atom inside them. Buoyed by its success, an Atom II is available.

Battle for the Netbook Operating System

Netbooks finally, presented an opportunity for Linux to increase its market share, but Microsoft was not ready to give up so soon and started offering manufacturers its own OS. It could not offer Vista which cannot work properly on entry level notebooks, forget netbooks. So they were left with the more than seven years old operating system XP which was a temporary solution until Seven was ready. With Windows 7 being finally released, Microsoft finally had a proper alternative but found a new competitor: Android and the soon-to-be released Chrome OS from its arch-rival Google.

But seriously, is Android any competition? Google itself acknowledges that Android is a operating system designed primarily for mobiles and not netbooks. Chrome OS, its operating system for PCs is being developed primarily for netbooks and will surely counter Windows 7 in the near future. This move itself proves that Google did not think that Android primarily being a mobile OS would have enough “power” to challenge Windows XP or Seven. Android being a new OS also has this major disadvantage that people view it as an immature OS for mobiles so you can imagine what they might think of Android on netbooks.

Besides, the short comings of Android, Windows also had this major advantage, of people being familiar with the Windows OS which in turn helped increase the sale of XP netbooks and start the demise of Linux netbooks. According to Microsoft, the return rate of Linux netbooks is quite high. But now with an up-to-date OS in the form of Windows Seven, Microsoft doesn’t have any need to loose sleep over Android or Moblin or the numerous other operating systems.

To conclude, Android at best can be offered as a dual-boot OS to users with Windows Seven or Windows XP but it simple cannot take the place of a mature OS such as Windows. I don’t want to say that Android is a poor OS but it is instead being developed for a specific niche in mobiles and not netbooks. Google Chrome OS may well emerge as a worthy contender to upset Windows Seven’s sales for netbooks.

Though Windows haters might paint Windows 7 as an attempt to redeem whatever is left of Vista’s lost glory, the truth is that Windows 7 is compelling enough to be its own Operating system.

Windows 7 Selling Points – Why YOU Should Consider Windows 7

• Up, up and away for the Boosted Speed.  No Windows OS is as fast as Windows 7 in terms of performance and speed. Windows 7 is significantly faster than Vista. The ReadyBoost feature (also in Vista) uses just a USB flash drive or card to help boost a PC’s memory.
• Done with the pesky  Updates of Device Drivers.  Microsoft is on the right track with this Windows feature. Windows 7 takes the burden off the shoulders of users by automatically updating all the device drivers of the hardware installed in PCs.
• Connect them all with Homegroup Networking and share printers and files (all sorts) across the network.
• Enjoy endless streaming music through Windows Media Player’s ability to stream music in networked devices.
• A fast and slick User State Migration tool that easily upgrades and migrates files. Windows 7 uses the “hardlink migration” wherein the data is left in the exact same place on the hard disk and uses a series of redirect links to help Windows 7 find the files.
• Timesaving Jumplists are shortcuts that spring up with just a right click or an upwards swipe of the finger on the Taskbar icon. These are shortcuts of different applications that make things easier for users by giving users a list of recently accessed files. Plus you can add favorite files and links for eveyr application.
• Multi Touch Support. Windows 7’s magic Multitouch feature, which adds a whole new dimension.
• Nag Free User Account Control. Windows 7 has the UAC finally under its reins by making it more customized and sensitive to the user’s preferences.
• LCD and Big Screen friendly.  The text and other onscreen items can be boosted to 150% of their normal size making it more readable and by just pressing Windows + P brings up a popup menu that has options to duplicate, extend or transfer your desktop on a second screen. Much easier to connect to Projectors, use dual screens, etc.
• Peek, Shake and Snap your way. Tweaks in graphical user interfaces such as being able to peer past all open windows, shaking your mouse to make things disappear in your desktop and resizing open windows by simply dragging them to the edge of the screen are amusing yet effective ways to make the user experience better.

Windows 7 has done A LOT to improve on Vista. You have to appreciate huge features like Multi-Touch, a completely revamped taskbar and a much easier to use user interface. Plus all of this has been done while improving performance and keeping security intact.

These are just some of Windows 7’s list of long-overdue enhancements and improvements that both ordinary and powerful users have been eagerly anticipating. These are the results of careful planning and studying and stem from Microsoft’s decision to finally touch base with their user needs and preferences and build something for them.

Technorati Tags: windows 7 pros, Windows7

Here are the Top 10 Windows 7 AntiVirus Software based on information gathered from forums and surveys and a review of each software -

AVAST Windows 7 Anti Virus
Considered one of the best anti-viruses in terms of over-all balance, Avast is compatible with Windows 7. It still has all the qualities most users would like in an anti virus software:

1. Easy to use.
2. Works in the background.
3. Doesn’t eat a lot of CPU resources.
4. Changeable skins so you can pick a look you like.

The Avast version for Windows 7 has anti-spyware protection.

The best part of all, this anti-virus is free.

There is one glitch - Automatic updates for Avast anti-virus for Windows 7 sometimes are not detected so you have to manually update virus definitions.

However, overall Avast is great. When it comes to scanning and protecting your PC from malwares and viruses this is the anti-virus to use.

AVG AntiVirus for Windows 7
AVG is one of the most used anti-virus software in the entire world. This is because -

1. It is easy to use and the user interface is easy to navigate.
2. You can also choose from a myriad of options on how your anti-virus behaves while running in the background.
3. The AVG free edition not only gives you anti-virus protection, but also it includes anti-spyware, email scanner and a resident shield.
4. The user is given the capability to change to speed of scanning, the faster the scanning, the greater CPU resource is needed.

One downside is that when using AVG in windows 7 you will get two anti-spyware programs running at the same time which is not advisable (due to the burden it places on the computer).

AVIRA AntiVirus Software
Another free anti-virus option, Avira is at par with AVAST and AVG.

1. It runs smoothly in the background.
2. Automatic update works.
3. It has a user-friendly interface.

But as of October 16th,  2009 AVIRA is not officially compatible with Windows 7. You may suffer some glitches when using this anti-virus with Windows 7 -

• For instance it is very hard to fully uninstall due to its update definitions.
• Also there is a slight hang-ups when scanning your PC.

Hopefully in a few months this anti-virus will fully work with Windows 7. Like any other anti-virus, it gives the user the ability to customize the behavior of the anti-virus software for scanning, and the level of protection. Avira also gives a detailed report of on all the scans and updates that take place.

4. Kaspersky AntiVirus
This anti-virus isn’t freeware, its about 60 dollars, but there is a 30 day free trial after downloading the client.

Kaspersky AV is a mixed box -

1. Even after all the updates Kaspersky AntiVirus still lacks some valuable features compared to the other anti-viruses.
2. The new version has removed it best feature, the Safe Run program sandbox, where you can use the anti-virus even in Safe Mode.
3. On the other hand it has added a better anti-virus engine, which runs at blazing speed compared to the free edition anti-viruses.
4. A new feature allow customers to send their PC’s scans for analysis for better protection. However, this costs an extra $20.

Would recommend using the trial and seeing whether you like it before committing to this anti-virus.

5. TrendMicro AntiVirus for Windows 7
Unlike most anti-virus software that scans incoming files and protects your files, Trend Micro is different. This nifty program has the ability to protect your files from being sent without authorization for the client. Also by subscribing manually, users are allowed to use the Smart Protection Network, which monitors any malware files that are being created and destroys them before they can spread.

Trend Micro (when a scan is going on) does not causes stoppages when playing games or watching videos. Trend Micro can scan and protect your PC without limiting what you can do.

6. Norton AntiVirus from Symantec
Ever since Symantec released Norton, it has become a household name. Unfortunately, that has led to it being a big target.

Most malware creators target Norton out of all anti-viruses and and their success rate is above the norm. Don’t get me wrong - Norton is a good anti-virus. Unfortunately it doesn’t even come close to AVG or Avast. None of the updates are groundbreaking and new features and utilities added are usually unnecessary.

All hope rests in the New Norton Anti-virus 2009 -

1. It has a sleek user-interface design.
2. Uses less PC resources as compared to earlier versions.
3. Has 24/7 virus definition updates.
4. An array of security tools.
5. Most of all it has free technical support for users.

To be able to use all these, you have to pay an annual subscription fee.I’m not sure if consumers would pay for something that AVAST or AVIRA offer for free. Norton gets around this by paying PC manufacturers to bundle its antivirus software with Windows 7 in new PCs.

7. BitDefender
Another pay-to-protect antivirus, Bit Defender is not as good as its name sounds.

Sure, it defends like any other anti-virus, but it makes little sense to pay 50 dollars a year for something you can actually get for free.

1. Most users complain that it puts your computer speed into a screeching halt if you want to scan and do something else.
2. Also uninstalling through conventional means is a headache. You’d need another software to uninstall it or have a lot of patience.
3. Also, customer support doesn’t function very well. Having to wait for more than 5 minutes before getting an automated response is just bad.

8. F-Security
Finally, an anti-virus that has an online tutorial. Maybe thats the only thing that separates F-security from the rest. However, an online tutorial is probably necessary with the rest of the problems encountered in this software.

1. From the installation process, there is a slight slowdown in CPU processor speed. However a reboot takes care of that problem.
2. F-security has a myriad of security tools, however what is lacking is the “SCAN NOW” option, which is actually hidden in along with the disky utility feature.
3. Also its firewall has trouble recognizing programs like Google and Skype toolbars and it has to be flagged first before being able to be used.

Also, like any other anti-viruses, pop-ups are supposed to be discreet and at least simple. F-security’s pop-ups are not. They are usually found in the center of the screen, old-school style. And above all, F-security is expensive by 20 to 30 dollars. Users should think twice before picking F-Security.

9. Bullguard
Not as famous as its counterparts, Bullguard is what people would call normal. Nothing would entice consumers into buying this software. No new security tool, no new interface-user design, no online support.

It does have Full-email protection, and supports KAZAA, ICQ and MSN messenger.

Bullguard doesn’t really pop out from the rest of the pack. The hardest pill to swallow is the annual subscription, which is 69 dollars. The free trial does last 60 days. Bullguard is commonly used for email spam filters (commonly used in offices and firms).

10. McAfee
Mcafee is in tight competition with Norton, so every software update is supposed to top the former’s update. As of the moment, both are on equal terms.

1. McAfee’s wide range of security tools would give viruses a fit.
2. It’s also great that Mcafee has combined all those security tools into a single  user interface. The user can now not only change the behavior of the software but also enable or disable any security tool Mcafee has installed.
3. A new tool was added in the new update. Mcafee’s Active Protection or Artemis detects threats that are only a few minutes old.
4. Virus definition updates are instantaneous and up-to-date.

Customer Support is limited compared to Norton or Trend Micro. There is a ‘first 30 days’ free customer support provision. After which the user has to pay nine dollars a month. Other than customer support, Mcafee gives you more than adequate virus protection for your Windows 7 system.

Do leave your thoughts on what Windows 7 AntiVirus worked well for you.

Technorati Tags: Top Windows 7 antivirus, windows 7 antivirus, windows7 antivirus software

Application compatibility is a byword attached to almost all new software releases. With the current release of Windows 7, application compatibility is particularly important.

Why is application compatibility so crucial for Windows 7?

Because the world will be upgrading to Windows 7 with all their existing applications. We’re talking hundreds of millions of PCs, each with its own set of applications and quirks.

Microsoft has developed a methodical approach to ensure complete application compatibility testing prior to the distribution of Windows 7. 

• By doing so issues can be identified and dealt with at an early  stage. 
• This will  minimize the support impact on its users and provide a baseline of feedback for its developers.
• In effect, this will reduce the time and effort required in later testing and is ideal for identification of future risks and concerns.

Microsoft’s compatibility testing  for Windows 7 covers a wide range of different applications from Data Backup/ Security to even Games.  

How does Microsoft achieve accurate and reliable testing given the sheer numbers of applications?

Well, Microsoft uses a sample testing approach wherein all applications that fall under similar data processing, technology and methods and other parameters are grouped together. It’s similar to tests being conducted in laboratory rooms testing different species of animals and their behavior.

Windows 7 Aims to Avoid the Incompatibilities that plagued Vista 

Narrowing down to the heart of what this particular blog post is all about, Microsoft recently came up with the Windows 7 Compatiblity Center (still under development) site that will deal with Windows 7 compatibility issues.

This is a very wise move on the part of Microsoft since compatibility issues were one of the major drawbacks of Vista.  The numerous incompatibilities between Windows Vista and XP resulted in very painful transitions and unhappy customers.

The Windows 7 compatibility center website is still finalizing its database of compatible third party applications. However, the writing is on the wall. Windows 7 will not repeat the compatibility fiasco that plagued Vista. 

Let’s start with Security and Anti-Virus software. This is a partial list of Windows 7 compatible anti-virus software and security software -

1. Bit Defender. 
2. Trend Micro.
3. Kaspersky Lab
4. Norton from Symantec
5. BullGuard
6. McAfee. 
7. AVG.
8. Avast.
9. Webroot.
10. Panda Security.
11. AhnLab
12. eset.
13. Rising.
14. Sunbelt Software
15. GData
16. F-Secure
17. Microsoft Security Essentials.

A lot of the Windows 7 features that are getting a ton of attention are the obvious ones - the UI changes and the multi-touch. 

However, Microsoft’s strong push to make Windows 7 backwards compatible with Vista and to include XP Mode might be equally important.

By identifying and resolving compatibility issues with third party applications through their different tools  (e.g. Compatibility Administrator Tool, Application Compatibility Toolkit ,etc) Microsoft and the Windows Team are taking a giant step towards making Windows 7 a new and more powerful Windows OS.

Technorati Tags: windows 7 compatibility

If it sells out remember to sign up to be notified when Windows 7 UK is available again at the 50% off price.

BBC reports that Amazon has declared Microsoft ’s Windows 7 UK Sale a huge success. Windows 7 UK preorders in the first 8 hrs have out-sold life-time Windows Vista preorders -

Amazon said that sales of Windows 7 in the first eight hours it was available outstripped those of Windows Vista’s entire 17 week pre-order period.

Windows 7 sells more in 8 hrs than Vista sold in 17 weeks?

This is really, really hard to fathom. It seems -

1. The good Windows 7 reviews. 
2. The 70% off sale on Windows 7 in the UK. 
3. The long wait for a good Windows 

Have combined and Windows 7 is loooking more and more like it’ll be a mega hit.

BBC also writes -

Analysts IDC predict that some 177 million copies of the operating system will be in place by the end of 2010, 50 million of which will be in Europe.

Get Your Windows 7 UK now

Windows 7 is already sold out in France, and the rate at which it’s selling in UK and the fact that quantities are limited means it’d make sense to order now. It’s already sold out once. Get it before it sells out again.

Windows 7 Home Premium for £74.97 (50% off £149.99)

Windows 7 Home Premium 74.95 

 

Windows 7 Professional Edition for £179.97 (18% off £219.99) Not worth it in my opinion.

Windows 7 Professional Edition – 18% Off 

Another update from Computing.co.uk that adds to the Windows 7 runaway success reports -

Windows 7 has become the fastest selling operating system at the UK high street electronics specialists Currys and PC World, as well as online store Dixons.co.uk, according to the chains’ owner DSGi.

What does this say about Windows 7 Sales Prospects?

Windows 7 might end up being Microsoft’s most successful Operating System ever.

We’ve seen with netbooks that users are not comfortable using new OS paradigms. In addition, most flavors of Linux are targeted at tech-savvy users and leave normal users completely befuddled.

Windows 7 is entering at the perfect time -

1. Mac OS based laptops ends up being too expensive. 
2. Linux is too technical. 
3. Vista got a bad rep and wasn’t exceptional to begin with. 
4. XP is a pretty old OS (even though it’s great).

Which means you have a very, very good Windows 7 come in at a time when there’s huge demand for a good Operating System that is easy to use and works well. UK and France seem to be leading the charge in making Windows 7 MS’s biggest success ever.

Here are a few of the key details -

1. It’ll be available worldwide on netbooks. Windows 7 Team still uses archaic terms like ’small notebooks’.  
2. Run as many applications at the same time as you like. 
3. It does not include -
   

   •Aero Glass, meaning you can only use the “Windows Basic” or other opaque themes. It also means you do not get Taskbar Previews or Aero Peek.
   •Personalization features for changing desktop backgrounds, window colors, or sound schemes.
   •The ability to switch between users without having to log off.
   •Multi-monitor support.
   •DVD playback.
   •Windows Media Center for watching recorded TV or other media.
   •Remote Media Streaming for streaming your music, videos, and recorded TV from your home computer.
   •Domain support for business customers.
   •XP Mode for those that want the ability to run older Windows XP programs on Windows 7.

Basically, Microsoft are still pitching Windows 7 Home Premium for netbook users. they`re saying that most flavors of Windows 7 will work on netbooks, and although there is a Starter Edition that works well with netbooks we should get a higher priced version to unlock Windows 7 functionality.

This is a weak post from the W7 Team Blog and a weak move from Microsoft – its basically a marketing post asking users to choose the more expensive Home Premium version.

Way to take a market you own 95%+ of and throw it away Microsoft. Don`t know at what point Microsoft are going to figure out that users will NOT buy a $350 machine and then pay $150 for an Operating System.

If Starter is getting you $50 per netbook, that`s still pretty good. Microsoft, owning market share is much more important at this point than making profits. Instead of sinking all that money into Live and MSN put some here.

Technorati Tags: windows 7, windows 7 starter edition

There is speculation that there will be upgrades bundled with any PCs sold with Windows Vista up to 2 months before the release date. This would ensure that the back to school season goes well, and would let users upgrade to Windows 7 after the October 22nd release date.

From the article -

 PC makers and resellers will offer free upgrades to Windows 7 for people who buy a new computer running the Home Premium, Business or Ultimate version of Windows Vista shortly before Windows 7 arrives. However, Microsoft did not say whether the upgrade program will begin in time for back-to-school shopping, another crucial period for the PC industry.

The WIndows 7 Team blog had confirmed that Windows 7 would be out in time for the holiday season – However, they haven’t yet given us a date, and its good to have Seattle Times supply the vital information.

Ramifications of a Windows 7 Oct 22nd release

1. Taking the upgrade into account, a lot of people would start buying PCs from around 1-2 months before the release date.  
2. The holiday season should be very good for PCs.
3. Windows 7 having a netbook optimized Starter flavor, now with no ‘atmost 3 apps at a time’ restriction, means that netbooks will continue to favor Windows over other OSes.
4. The new Touch Pack means we will begin to see interest grow, and PC manufacturers get the chance to show off new hardware and, equally importantly, sell new hardware.
5. Apple’s Snow Leopard doesn’t really get a chance to make headway this holiday season.

Windows 7 is a really good operating system and a release in time for the 2009 holiday season is good news for Microsoft and PC manufacturers.

Technorati Tags: windows 7, windows 7 release date

1. Reduce concepts… Increase confidence. Thoughts: Confusing.
2. Solve distractions not discoverability. Thoughts: This is very good.
3. UX before knobs and questions.
4. Personalization not customization.
5. Lifecycle of the experience.
6. Small bad and good things matter. Thoughts: Another really good principle.
7. Be great at “look” and “do”.
8. Building for mobile people. Thoughts: This is really important and glad that MS is finally looking at this.

Another really interesting data point was this -

With millions of users signed up to the Windows Customer Experience Improvement Program, designers had a lot of information to work with. With 90% of users having up to 14 windows open at once (and the majority using between 6 and 9 windows), it was clear something needed to be done about the Windows taskbar and its window management tools.

That’s a good area to prioritize, and in Windows 7 the new taskbar, aero peek, etc. do make it much easier to switch between windows and work with multiple windows.

My favorite design features in Windows 7 would be -

1. Jump Lists. 
2. Aero Peek. 
3. One combined task bar - the new superbar.  

It does take a little time to get used to the new features – However, they’ve had a positive impact on my productivity.  

I love playing around with AeroShake because its just a really cool looking feature – however, it doesn’t get used as much as something like Jump Lists.

Technorati Tags: windows 7, windows 7 design

There are rumors flying everywhere that Windows 7 Build 7048 is Release Candidate 1, and will have an April 2009 launch date. It’s build 6.1.7048.win main_win7rc1.090211-1625 and no word yet on its availability on torrent sites.

A few points to keep in mind -

1. The latest build that is actually available via bittorrent is Windows 7 Build 7022 (32 bit).
2. Screenshots for Windows 7 Build 7032 have been released on the net.
3. There’s a huge security risk in installing anything off of a torrent site – so please be extremely careful, check with your Antivirus software first.
4. All these unofficial build leaks should not be installed on work machines. Heck – even the Windows 7 beta should only be installed on test machines.

If Windows 7 already has its RC1 build available, and its scheduled for an April release, we can be sure we’ll be seeing Windows 7 in either July 2009, or at the latest in Oct 2009.