Software Sparks

The Windows 7 Ribbon

Windows 7 makes creating ribbons easier than ever. Learn everything you know from the video Windows 7 Ribbon Deep Dive and the related videos on the page!

The Latest on Windows 7

A news summary for Windows 7 RC1:

1. available for the public to download on May 5 without a limit on the number of copies. If you want it, it's yours!
2. will run for over a year
3. Microsoft expects this to be the only release candidate
4. Final release no later than January 2010

You can read more at ZDNet in the article Windows RC1 made available for download.

According to the article, new features include "multitouch interaction, a redesigned taskbar at the bottom of the desktop and an integrated search feature that allows the user to search across the client PC and corporate network at once. Power management has also been improved, as Microsoft has been keen to focus Windows 7 on portable computing."

Does Windows 7 Eliminate Backward Compatibility Issues?

In his article Secret No More: Revealing Windows XP Mode for Windows 7, blogger Paul Thurrott
reveals a feature that may put an end to compatibility worries for those moving to Windows 7.

Windows 7 Release Candidate

Ed Bott provides a valuable update on the Windows 7 Release Candidate in his article What you need to know about the Windows 7 Release Candidate.  

Which Virtualization Suite is Best?

ZD Net Australia just published a comparison of the major virtualization suite contenders, titled What's the best virtualisation suite? (Note: they spell it with an "s" down under).

It's not surprising that they rank VM Ware as having the most mature feature set, but they note that it "comes at a cost".

Windows 7 Update

Microsoft Technet just published "Ten Things IT Professionals Should Know About Windows 7". It's and excellent summary and well worth the few minutes it takes to read. You can find the post here.