The Windows 10 RTM release date is now imminent, so get ready to download it, free. We're hearing there's an RTM sprint this week (that's release to manufacturing, in case you don't grok the shibboleth).
Microsoft needs to get its collective finger out, so that OEMs have time to get new, pre-installed PCs in stores by July 29. So, despite all the doom-laden talk last week, bleeding-edge "Fast ring" insiders could be running "final" bits before the weekend.
But beware of the new product key issue, otherwise you might not be able to Activate it.
So here we are again: The unbridled excitement of RTM is upon us! But, because of Windows 10's new, Agile, service-like nature, this could be the last time.
In IT Blogwatch, bloggers hum a Stoney tune. Not to mention: Jagger and the original lineup in 1965...
Your humble blogwatcher curated these bloggy bits for your entertainment.
[Updated 4.37 am PDT, with confirmation of the RTM candidate, and 10.21 am with a minor clarification.]
Well, Tom Warren told you once, and he told you twice:
Sources familiar with Microsoft’s plans [say it] is currently working on final copies of Windows 10, with a release to manufacturing (RTM) build expected later this week.
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Windows 10 is considered the "final version of Windows." ... "We will never be done," explained Windows chief Terry Myerson last week.
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Microsoft released three separate versions of Windows 10 last week. ... While there’s still a debate around the readiness of Windows 10, Microsoft has been squashing hundreds of bugs. ... The company will continue to work on bug fixes ready for the July 29th release date. MORE
But you never listen to Dwight Silverman's advice:
While Microsoft always insists that each new version of Windows is the best ever, there’s a lot more riding [on it] this time.
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Should you upgrade to Windows 10? As always, the answer is: It depends. ... Ultimately the best way to get Windows 10 is to buy a new computer with it pre-installed. MORE
Speaking of which, Dell don't try very hard to please Paul Thurrott:
Dell was first out of the gate with a solid lineup of PCs that it would make available with the new OS. ... Think back to Windows 8 [which] was released on [the] traditional schedule, with a months-long wait between RTM...and GA (general availability)...giving PC makers time to prepare.
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[OEMs] had plenty of time to stock the market with new product in time for Windows 8’s launch. ... But with Windows 10, the schedule isn’t just shorter, it’s almost not even comparable. MORE
With what Gabe Aul knows, it should be easy:
We're releasing 10162 PC build to the Slow ring today.
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It's the same build that went to Fast last week. MORE
Well, this could be the last time. This could be the last time. Maybe the last time. Chris Merriman don't know (oh no): [You're fired -Ed.]
It would be wrong to call this the 'finished product' as Windows 10 is designed to be a perpetual beta.
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We don't know how much Windows 10 will cost...as Microsoft has not been entirely transparent about prices. ... And we don't know exactly when we'll get it. [It] seems that the rollout will be in stages...with enterprise sales beginning on 1 August.
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[But it's] the 'last' version of Windows as it moves to an 'as-a-service' model. It's the biggest experiment in Microsoft's 40-year history. MORE
Well, Waseemulla Shariff is sorry, girl, but the old keys can't stay (feelin' like he do today):
We are changing the product keys that are used in the Insider Preview. ... If you are prompted for a product key on Build 10158 or a later build:
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Home Editions: KTNPV-KTRK4-3RRR8-39X6W-W44T3 ...
Pro Editions: 8N67H-M3CY9-QT7C4-2TR7M-TXYCV ...
Enterprise Editions: CKFK9-QNGF2-D34FM-99QX2-8XC4K. MORE
It's too much pain and too much sorrow. Guess ZombieFly'll feel the same tomorrow:
If a product isn't ready for public consumption then it should not be released to the public.
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Sure, I get agile development and incremental feature releases, but this is not the state of things here. We barely have a usable OS, it's full of bugs and inconsistencies. ... For the consumer, they'll hit problems that can't be easily solved for issues they never had before.
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That's not technology moving forward, that's just ######. MORE
Update: If he's wrong, Woody Leonhard will have to pay the price:
Microsoft has scheduled Thursday, July 9 for its RTM sign-off. [This] is a meeting and a process behind sealed doors -- something like a papal conclave
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Given the recent Partner Build sieves, a leak seems likely [if it] isn't passed out through normal channels. ... I wonder if Myerson will let sufficiently motivated Insiders get a sneak peek.
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[The] RTM candidate is 10.0.10176.16384.th1.150705-0552. The date stamp says it was compiled on July 5. ... Will 10176 make it to the Insider Fast Ring? MORE
And Finally...
The Last Time - The Stones in 1965
[...and how to play the iconic riff]
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