The Windows XP Mode for Windows 7 OS has completed its final stage of development and the download will be aired through Microsoft Download Center on October 22^nd.

So, what is this XP Mode on Windows 7?

Well, if you somehow ignored the hint in its name, let me expound on what it actually is. Microsoft Windows 7 OS will no doubt have Microsoft’s latest OS technology and superior performance.

Besides this, the new OS is likely to drive in compatibility glitches with hardware biased to support Windows XP. To avoid this, Microsoft found an ultimate solution and calls it Windows 7 XP Mode.

Demo : Windows 7 XP Mode

“Windows XP Mode is designed to provide small business and mid-sized businesses running Windows 7 Professional (or higher) the ability to run Windows XP productivity applications that may not be natively compatible with Windows 7” quoted the Microsoft Press Release.

Windows 7 XP Mode is basically designed for small and medium size businesses which usually find using Windows XP relatively comfortable when compared to newer version of Windows. Ultimately, these businesses refrain from updating to the higher version of operating systems like Windows Vista or Windows 7.

So, the induction of a new XP mode in Windows 7 is more or less Microsoft’s ways of boosting Windows 7 sales or better said – Microsoft ‘s decent strategic approach favoring customer care and consumer interests.

“Windows 7 has a strong compatibility story with Windows Vista, and many applications that currently run on Windows XP-based or Windows Vista-based PCs should just run natively on Windows 7 – allowing you to take advantage of better performance, better management and better security built into Windows 7.”

The Good ? It’s a free download. The Bad? It’s not absolutely free. You’ll need to have a purchased copy of Windows 7 or higher for using the XP Mode on your Windows 7 OS. And make sure, your system has hardware virtualization enabled to support XP mode because some vendors usually disable hardware virtualization for slated reasons.

New Features in Windows XP Mode RC

Based on feedback from the Windows XP Mode beta, we’ve made several improvements to the usability of Windows XP Mode for small and medium-sized business users:

• You can now attach USB devices to Windows XP Mode applications directly from the Windows 7 task-bar. This means your USB devices, such as printers and flash drives, are available to applications running in Windows XP Mode, without the need to go into full screen mode.
• You can now access Windows XP Mode applications with a “jump-list”. Right click on the Windows XP Mode applications from the Windows 7 task bar to select and open most recently used files.
• You now have the flexibility of customizing where Windows XP Mode differencing disk files are stored.
• You can now disable drive sharing between Windows XP Mode and Windows 7 if you do not need that feature.
• The initial setup now includes a new user tutorial about how to use Windows XP Mode.

For further information and technical details on Windows 7 XP Mode, click here.

Click here to buy Windows 7 (pre-order).

Besides this, the first Microsoft Store which is in the final stages of its touch up is supposed to go live reportedly on or after October 22 in Scottsdale, Arizona. Hopefully, this will contribute to ascend public interest in Microsoft’s hardware products like Zune HD, Xbox 360 and so on besides boosting up software sales.

Good Luck, Microsoft.

Tags: Buy Windows 7, Download Windows 7, Microsoft Store, windows 7, Windows 7 Download, Windows 7 Official Release, Windows 7 XP Mode, Windows XP Mode, Windows XP Mode RC, XP Mode for Windows 7
]]> http://tnerd.com/2009/10/18/the-windows-7-download-story-free-download-xp-mode-for-windows-7-on-october-22/feed/ 0 http://tnerd.com/2009/06/02/talkingaboutwindows-microsoft-goes-more-social-and-open-with-windows-7/ http://tnerd.com/2009/06/02/talkingaboutwindows-microsoft-goes-more-social-and-open-with-windows-7/#comments Tue, 02 Jun 2009 04:23:39 +0000 Abbas http://tnerd.com/?p=3741 Microsoft sure learnt a lot from Windows Vista not just in terms of what works best for users but all the other aspects of launching a successful product.

With Windows 7 Microsoft is going an extra mile to make sure no stone is left unturned for the product to be widely used and accepted.

Microsoft is transparent and more social with all the initiatives it is taking around Windows 7. Multiple blogs have been launched talking about windows; channels have been announced on Youtube discussing the better functionalities of Windows 7, Windows 7 Giveaways, Windows 7 Expert advice, etc.. This time unlike Windows Vista, the software giant is in no mood to take any chances.

TalkingAboutWindows.com is one such site where the real people behind Windows 7 invite visitors to get involved in discussions, ask questions or share their experiences or opinions on Windows 7.

So who’s involved you ask? Following are few of the known names behind the software..

• Jon Devaan, Microsoft Sr VP Windows Core Operating System
• Mark Russinovich, Microsoft, Technical Fellow
• Sharif Farag, Microsoft, Senior Lead Program Manager
• Gabriel Aul, Microsoft, Director of Program Management

Another good resource is Talking About Windows on Youtube. This channel showcases two 10-year-olds talking about Windows 7 and other IT related stuff.

Few other resources for Windows 7:

• Official Windows 7 site [link]
• Windows 7 Team Blog [link]
• Windows 7 for Developers [link]
• TalkingAboutWindows – YouTube [link]
• Engineering Windows 7 – [link]

With so many domains and sites being launched around Windows, I am surprised Microsoft didn’t contact me for one of the domains I own "WindowsStuff.com". I won’t charge too much, just a million dollars and lifetime free supply of Microsoft softwares + beta tester for all Microsoft softwares. Thats not too much to ask, is it?