by Joseph L. Flatley,
The kids over at Tech Arp got their hands on a draft of Microsoft's Windows 7 upgrade scheme. According to the the document, titled "The Microsoft Windows 7 Upgrade Program Rev. 2.1," Vista machines purchased from participating vendors after July 1st will be eligible for an upgrade to the new OS, whenever it comes out -- in a similar manner to the XP - Vista switchover. The idea here is to forestall a sales slump in the lead up to the new OS release. Upgrades will be tier-for-tier, with Vista Home Premium users getting to switch up to Windows 7 Home Premium when the time is right, Vista Business to Windows 7 Professional, and Vista Ultimate users getting an upgrade to Windows 7 Ultimate. Additionally, 32-bit to 64-bit upgrades will not be allowed -- but folks using the 32-bit version will get to perform a clean install of the 64-bit version, if that's what their heart desires. Lastly, a system that has a valid Vista license but is running XP under the downgrade scheme will be allowed to perform a fresh install of Windows 7. You got all that? Good.

[Via SlashGear]

engadget.com

By Wilson Rothman,

The PC galaxy is now a-frenzy with the Windows 7 beta—the largest OS beta test in history. Before we continue reporting, let's look back at its features, promises and proofs of awesomeness:

• The initial Windows 7 feature walkthrough, boot video and first taste of the user experience

• Giz Explains all the hidden benefits of Windows 7, and why it will smash Vista

• Our parody of 25 features you won't find in Windows 7

• How Windows 7 will extend laptop battery life by at least 11%

• What the totally upgraded Media Center interface on Windows 7 can do

• Early benchmarks of Windows 7 said to be "very promising"

• Finally, how to install and play with the Windows 7 Beta

[Windows 7 on Giz]

gizmodo.com

by Ross Miller,
Microsoft has pushed out its first patch for the Windows 7 public beta. The update saves your MP3s from a rather nasty bug that trims seconds off any song that's been edited, either by you or via automatic updates from Windows Media Player. If you've got afflicted files, there's a chance they're salvageable via properties window, according to the patch notes -- and if not, then here's hoping you backed up your library. Additionally, a new update has gone out to Windows 2000, XP, Vista, and Server 2003 / 2008 that fixes some vulnerabilities in the Server Message Block (SMB) protocol. Beta users won't get their fix until the next public release, explains Microsoft Security Response Team's Christopher Budd, since it's only considered a "moderate" risk for the new OS.

engadget.com