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Microsoft Releases Pre-RC1 Vista Beta

By Nate Mook, BetaNews

August 25, 2006, 1:01 PM

Microsoft on Friday announced a new beta build of Windows Vista, which serves as an interim update while the company finalizes Release Candidate 1. Build 5536 is available to technical beta testers and MSDN subscribers, and includes a number of quality improvements.

"This interim build is not widely distributed (you'll have to wait for RC1) but does serve to underscore the progress the Dev and Test teams have made since Beta 2, while also confirming that we're still on track for the release of RC1 in the near future," wrote Microsoft product manager Nick White on the Vista Team Blog.

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By nanikore

posted Aug 31, 2006 - 1:21 PM

I think to avoid further heart attacks, all of us should use this simple flowchart:

[Is this release newer than what I have (Yes|No)}

Yep.

Score: 0

By wincement

posted Aug 28, 2006 - 8:02 PM

Quick point:

I feel stupid for not spotting this before, but all our useless bickering about release names, etc. is a moot point. Apparently Beta News is the only one calling this release "Pre-RC1." Microsoft just upped the build number...

Score: 0

By PC_Tool

posted Aug 28, 2006 - 12:49 PM

It's on the usenet. 32-bit only.

alt.binaries.boneless

also posted to:

alt.binaries.b4e

(I figure posting this is legit since many of us have legit Vista Keys, and you can only access these groups via paid services.)

I do not suggest downloading *anything* else from these groups. AS always, Viruses abound...

Score: 0

By cannie

posted Aug 28, 2006 - 5:12 AM

I'll never buy a new computer without a real need only to please Microsoft. Not always the newest means the best for you.

Score: 0

By ladylust

posted Aug 27, 2006 - 4:32 AM

This build is amazing! Im using it now as a stand alone OS (not a dual boot) - If MS keeps up the good work - this will be the best OS since MAC OS X.

Score: 0

By PC_Tool

posted Aug 28, 2006 - 9:10 AM

Er....

That's not sayin' much. ;)

Score: 0

By DotNet_Coder

posted Aug 28, 2006 - 7:49 PM

Ain't that the truth...

~dnc

Score: 0

By makryger1

edited Aug 26, 2006 - 11:49 AM

I tried out the first CPP. My copy could not connect to the internet, so after 14 days with no activation, I was done. Hopefully the next release works better.

Does anyone know what the status of the MS Fingerprint reader/Fingerprint keyboard is in Vista now? Have they built drivers for it yet?

Score: 0

By ds0934

edited Aug 25, 2006 - 11:41 PM

Alpha, Beta, Pre-RC1, RC1, Pre-RC2, RC2, Pre-RTM, RTM, Pre-SP1, SP1.... CTP... someone Pa-LEEEEZ shoot these marketing people!?

Score: 0

By ladylust

posted Aug 27, 2006 - 3:38 PM

And im sure you will be 1st in line to b*tch if they release a flawed OS. They are being careful.

Score: 0

By wincement

posted Aug 26, 2006 - 11:55 AM

Yeah ok. You're complaining that the release schedule is complicated? Just look at how complex the OS has to be. Be realistic. "Pa-LEEEEZ"

Score: 0

By ds0934

edited Aug 27, 2006 - 2:02 PM

Schedule???? I'm only referring to the new names and how stupid they've become. Pa-LEEEZ indeed. I don't care about schedules. I didn't set their schedule. I didn't insist on vista shipping by "x" date. Who cares. I want it to ship when it's READY to ship. Trying to meet a deadline has done nothing good for anyone. You obviously don't read many of the Vista Team Blogs. They're not very happy with having to yank out features to meet some marketing-imposed deadline. Neither am I. Crippling the horse before it gets to the starting gate is just dumb.

Back to the original topic: The terms are what seem stupid. Not the schedule or milestones. I remember when there was "alpha", "beta", "rc" and then "rtm". That was it. Now we have "pre-rc1". WTF?!

Score: 0

By ds0934

posted Aug 28, 2006 - 8:38 AM

You guys are blinded by the stupidity of this. Did you study CS in college? Did they EVER mention such a thing as "pre-rc1"? No. I've never seen a single textbook with such a term. CTP either. It's all marketing spin. I'm sure you'll find it completely logical if they start using Pre-beta1, pre-beta2, pre-RTM, etc. Oh well. No wonder so much crappy software sells with people like you guys eating it up so fast.

Score: 0

By The MAZZTer

posted Aug 28, 2006 - 10:13 PM

If I only used what I learned in college to write apps, all my apps would be Linux/Win32 console apps. Do you really think I can be hired to do console apps? Me neither. That's why I taught myself stuff beyond the classroom. PHP, SQL, .NET, Win32 API...

Score: 0

By wincement

edited Aug 28, 2006 - 12:59 PM

Dude. Settle down. Do you really think the terms "Alpha" and "Beta" came out of a text book?

Where do any of the terms we use for releases come from? I'll give you a hint: it wasn't from your college classes. We got things like "Release Candidate" and "Community Technology Preview" because someone thought, "Hey, this sounds like a good name." Then the acronyms followed and they caught on like wild fire. You get the idea. ...I hope.

I don't know who you're calling stupid. You're the one who replied to your own comment and started talking to everyone else...

Score: 0

By wincement

posted Aug 27, 2006 - 10:01 PM

Lol... I love it when people latch on to one word and think that was the whole point of the comment.

The releases are called what they are because of their order. Hence my use of the term "release schedule." I was not referring to specific points in time as you suggest...

As the replier before me stated, it's between Beta 2 and RC 1, hence Pre-RC1.

Score: 0

By PC_Tool

posted Aug 28, 2006 - 9:09 AM

Or Beta 3. ;)

Score: 0

By wincement

posted Aug 28, 2006 - 12:57 PM

True that, but maybe they didn't feel like enough had changed to call it the next Beta. Just a guess.

Score: 0

By PC_Tool

posted Aug 28, 2006 - 2:04 PM

Beta 2.5?

wait..they did that....

Beta 2.8125.

Problem solved. I have submitted the suggestion to the interested parties at Microsoft HQ. Expect another press-release momentarily.

;) :P and so on...

Score: 0

By ds0934

posted Aug 28, 2006 - 9:22 AM

Thank you! Someone hasn't lost their mind.

Score: 0

By wincement

posted Aug 28, 2006 - 1:05 PM

You sure are enthusiastic about your software release names, aren't you?

Score: 0

By ds0934

posted Aug 28, 2006 - 7:57 PM

Yes I am. And I drink way too much coffee.

Score: 0

By PC_Tool

posted Aug 28, 2006 - 9:58 AM

*laughs*

"He don't know me wewy wew, do he?"
/tweety

Score: 0

By Martin Blank

posted Aug 27, 2006 - 3:15 PM

It's a build that comes between Beta 2 and RC1, but it's not RC1, so it's pre-RC1. Why is that so complicated? Microsoft creates a new build of Vista quite often, but most never leave Redmond. This one did for a small number of testers to get a chance to find show-stopping bugs before RC1 is released.

I've been involved with several projects that have multiple alpha, beta, and RC stages prior to RTM, and in all of them, there are interim builds. This is just a semi-public build.

Score: 0

By morriscox

posted Aug 28, 2006 - 10:30 AM

Between Beta 2 and RC1 sounds like Beta 3 to me.

Score: 0

By ConceptJunkie

posted Aug 28, 2006 - 12:04 PM

Sounds like RC1-beta1... a beta release of a release candidate. Or maybe a release candidate candidate.

Things made much more sense when MS just used version numbers.

Score: 0

By morriscox

posted Aug 28, 2006 - 10:59 PM

Or it could be RC0 again.

Score: 0

By PC_Tool

posted Aug 28, 2006 - 12:45 PM

You mean like Windows Version 3.1?

Still got 'em. XP is Windows Version 5.1 (Start - Run - winver)

They had Beta's and RC's of Win3.1, they just weren't as public or accessible.

Or are you talking about build numbers? Because they *definately* still have those...

Score: 0

By sophist_dreams

posted Aug 25, 2006 - 11:13 PM

So if it is a Pre RC1 and not a beta, does that make it a gamma release?

Score: 0

By ds0934

posted Aug 27, 2006 - 2:03 PM

It's "beta 3" but they're afraid it might scare people away that it's not getting closer to final (RTM) release. It's all marketing. The developers could care less what it's called.

Score: 0

By siryak

posted Aug 25, 2006 - 6:29 PM

I can't want to get my hands on that RC1. Although the last public beta was a little clunky and slow,, after reading all the reviews on the builds after that it looks very promising. Also I am now running a much more powerful PC this time. I went from a laptop 40gb 5400rpm, 3000+ AMD64, 512mb RAM to a AMD64 X2 3800+, 250gb SATA 7200RPM,1024mb RAM

Score: 0

By PC_Tool

posted Aug 28, 2006 - 9:08 AM

LOL.

yeah, I'd say your experience should improve greatly. ;)

Score: 0

By xyzcb1

posted Aug 25, 2006 - 3:34 PM

think we going to have it by xmas.

Score: 0

By frankwick

posted Aug 25, 2006 - 4:25 PM

not to the consumers in boxed format

Score: 0

By extremely well

posted Aug 25, 2006 - 3:36 PM

Thanks, papa!

Score: 0

By Mark Gillespie

edited Aug 25, 2006 - 2:08 PM

Not on MSDN Subscriber Downloads, I just checked. The Vista Blog entry does not mention MSDN. Where is the MSDN info?

Score: 0

By jbaltz69

posted Aug 25, 2006 - 3:06 PM

Yeah, I checked too, only builds 5384 & 5475.2

Score: 0

By extremely well

posted Aug 25, 2006 - 1:29 PM

Hmmm thinking. RC1 on 9/15? RC2 on 10/15? Gold on 11/15?

I hope so!

Score: 0

By Lotheric

posted Aug 25, 2006 - 1:29 PM

in 32 Bit flavor only, x64 users will have to wait for RC1 (early september)

Score: 0

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