Industry Testing of Windows Vista Release Candidate 1 Begins
Microsoft Corporation will broaden popular Customer Preview Program to allow for new participants; Canadian estimated retail pricing details now available
MISSISSAUGA, ON - Sept. 5, 2006 -Following the release Friday of Microsoft® Windows Vista™ Release Candidate 1 (RC1), Microsoft Corporation today announced plans to make RC1 available for broad customer and partner testing. With this milestone, Microsoft Canada Co. is pleased to announce that Microsoft Corporation has established the pricing for Windows Vista in Canada. The announcement signals a major step toward the final availability of Windows Vista, currently targeted for volume license customers in November 2006 and general availability in January 2007.
Microsoft first made Windows Vista RC1 available to a small group of technical customers on Friday, September 1st, and plans to broadly release the code to current Windows Vista Customer Preview Program (CPP) participants this week. In addition, Microsoft will re-open the CPP, a popular pre-release testing program, to new enrollments in coming days. In total, Microsoft plans to make Windows Vista RC1 available to more than 5 million customers worldwide.
"We have received an extraordinary amount of feedback from users across the globe and in Canada which has enabled Microsoft to reach this critical milestone and improve on the features and functions in Windows Vista that are the most significant to our customers," said Jill Schoolenberg, Windows Client General Manager, Microsoft Canada Co. "Windows Vista business availability is just around the corner and while Microsoft will continue the final development work on the product, now is the time for Canadian partners and beta testers to ready their products and prepare their environments."
Windows Vista is backed by extraordinary development tools and the deepest developer ecosystem in the world. It provides faster and easier development for the broadest platform with the richest capabilities, and provides a modern, comprehensive and coherent set of managed-code classes for Windows®.
"With the release of Windows Vista RC1, we are a step closer to finalizing a new offering for mobile users of Windows Vista. By leveraging many components of the technology of Windows Vista, we have dramatically improved what is possible with Flowfinity Actions," says Dmitry Mikhailov, President and CEO, Flowfinity Wireless.
"90 Degree Software has worked closely alongside the development of Windows Vista, which has helped us to streamline our software development process and to improve the user interface of our reporting software," says Michael Matrick, Co-founder and President, 90 Degree Software. "Windows Vista RC1 provides us with unrivalled opportunities to deliver exciting new applications."
In conjunction with Release Candidate 1, Microsoft today announced Canadian anticipated estimated retail pricing* for all editions of Windows Vista for both business and consumer users.
Microsoft Announces Estimated Retail Pricing for All Editions of Windows Vista
With Windows XP, customers often had to make tradeoffs in features and functionality as the editions of Windows XP were aligned with specific hardware types. With Windows Vista, customers now have the ability to make choices between editions based on the valuable features they desire, which are now available as standard features of mainstream editions. For example, 64-bit support and Tablet PC and touch technology are standard features of the Home Premium and Business editions.
Canadian Anticipated Estimated Retail Pricing* for Windows Vista:
Windows Vista Ultimate: Upgrade: $299*; Retail: $499*
Windows Vista Home Premium: Upgrade: $199*; Full Retail: $299*
Windows Vista Home Basic: Upgrade: $129*; Full Retail: $259*
Windows Vista Business: Upgrade: $249*; Full Retail: $379*
Windows Vista RC1 will be available in the coming days at www.windowsvista.com/getready/preview
Microsoft to Broaden CPP Program for Windows Vista RC1
Microsoft is broadening the scope of the Customer Preview Program, which began last quarter with the release of Windows Vista Beta 2. The CPP enables developers and IT professionals who do not have access to Windows Vista RC1 through other channels to obtain the code and begin testing. Also as part of the CPP, technology enthusiasts are able to obtain pre-release code and begin testing the various consumer scenarios Windows Vista enables. Current CPP participants are scheduled to have access to the RC1 code beginning this week, and Microsoft will be opening the CPP program to new participants in the following days. Microsoft will post RC1 to its MSDN® and TechNet Web sites for subscriber download, and is working with publishers in various markets around the world to distribute RC1 DVDs to readers of a number of technology publications. In total, Microsoft estimates that 5 million users around the world will have access to Windows Vista RC1 across all distribution channels.
Partners Called On to Test Windows Vista RC1
With Windows Vista RC1, Microsoft has made improvements to the overall product stability and reliability, and has enhanced performance and the overall customer experience. Microsoft is strongly encouraging partners to test and certify applications on Windows Vista RC1 in preparation for final product availability. In addition, Microsoft is delivering tools to enable partners to earn and display the "Certified for Windows Vista" Software Quality Logo. The "Certified for Windows Vista" logo enables Microsoft partners to take advantage of program benefits designed to help promote and market their applications and devices. Microsoft also continues to encourage the software industry to test current-generation (Windows XP) applications to earn and display the "Works with Windows Vista" logo. Partners can access these tools by visiting the Innovate on Windows Vista Web site at http://microsoft.mrmpslc.com/VistaPlatformAdoption
Many partners have already signed up with the programs; participants include industry-leading software companies and innovative PC and device and component manufacturers.
* Actual retail pricing may vary.
About Microsoft Canada
Established in 1985, Microsoft Canada Co. is the Canadian subsidiary of Microsoft Corporation (Nasdaq "MSFT") the worldwide leader in software, services and solutions that help people and businesses realize their full potential. Microsoft Canada provides nationwide sales, marketing, consulting and local support services in both French and English. Headquartered in Mississauga, Microsoft Canada has 10 regional offices across the country dedicated to empowering people through great software - any time, any place and on any device. For more information on Microsoft Canada, please visit www.microsoft.ca
© 2006 Microsoft Corporation. Microsoft, MSDN, Windows and Windows Vista are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and/or other countries.
The names of actual companies and products mentioned herein may be the trademarks of their respective owners.
