Microsoft has made a final test version of its
forthcoming Windows Vista operating system available to
testers.
The new build is also available to Microsoft’s Customer Preview
Programme participants for a limited time.
The software giant’s platforms and services co-president Jim
Allchin said Windows Vista Release Candidate 2 (RC2) included
“thousands of quality improvements since Windows Vista RC1”. These
had boosted performance, application compatibility and “fit and
finish”, he said.
Testers’ feedback had helped Microsoft focus on “nothing but bug
fixes over the past month”, he added.
Release to manufacture and shipping of Windows Vista were now
“just around the corner”, Allchin said.
Microsoft published US prices for the new operating system last
month and confirmed that large companies would be able to get Vista
from November, with a general release from January next year.
But the company is embroiled in a wrangle with the European
Commission over compliance with competition rules that could delay
Vista’s European launch. The row centres on new security features
that could threaten the market position of existing security
software firms.
Microsoft has been fined for failing to comply with a 2004
anti-trust ruling by the Commission. The company is appealing
against the judgement.