Microsoft Windows 7 is currently available for Pre-Order until July 11th (while supplies last). At only $49.99, the Premium Home version is a steal. I wasted no time in pre-ordering my upgrade licenses and will be counting down the days until October 22nd (the expected shipping date). If you don't plan on purchasing a new PC in the near future and your PC currently has Windows Vista or XP, this is your best chance to get a fantastic Operating System at a great price.
Windows 7 RC (Release Candidate) is scheduled for May 5 and the final version of Widows 7 is expected to ship during late summer/early fall.
Users currently using Windows Vista will be able to purchase an upgrade version of Windows 7 and upgrade easily to the latest Operating System.
If you currently use Firefox, you'll want to update to version 3.0.8 (just released by Mozilla). This latest version fixes two critical security issues.
Mozilla continues to impress by issuing updates quickly whenever it becomes aware of vulnerabilities in it's browser.
In addition to the two security vulnerabilities, there were also a few bug fixed.
Yesterday, Microsoft released the final version of Internet Explorer 8. I previously described some notable IE 8 features in the beta version and want to urge those currently using older versions of Internet Explorer to take the plunge and upgrade to Internet Explorer 8.
Security and performance improvements in this latest version are vast when compared to older versions and the upgrade is simple as can be. Just download Internet Explorer 8 and run set-up. Your settings, favorites and cookies are easily transferred and the improvements are well worth the time it takes to download and install.
Windows 7 will be available in two primary editions: Home Premium and Professional. In addition there will be an Ultimate version, but it is not expected to receive as much press as the two primary editions and might only be available as an upgrade through Microsoft.
Current Windows XP Users:
Windows XP users will be able to purchase a discounted upgrade license for Windows 7, but the pricing structure for Windows 7 has not yet been released.
Microsoft recently released Internet Explorer 8 beta 2 for public download. I'm currently using it and must say that I'm very impressed. Aside from numerous security improvements and increased performance there are also a slew of cool features that have been implemented in the new browser.
After much fanfare, Firefox 3 was released June 16th and was downloaded more than 8 million times during the first 24 hours alone. I was one of those who installed it within hours of it's release and I'm having a great experience so far. The most notable improvement for me is the increased speed and performance.
Rumors are circulating that a new version of Microsoft Windows is already in the works and is expected to be released by the end of next year. According to articles in Computer World and Internet News, Windows 7 is planned for release late next year and will use less memory, be more efficient and less bloated than Windows Vista. For now, the photos circulating show Windows 7 looking very similar to Vista but that is expected to change by the time the operating system is ready to ship.