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Filed under: Features, Windows, Microsoft, Lists

7 great ways to get Windows 7 cheap (or even free!)

Windows 7

Here at Download Squad, we like saving money. We love finding freebies, and we're certainly not ashamed to walk up to the cash register with a fistful of coupons. Since the announcement of the Windows 7 pricing scheme, we've been looking for ways to cut the costs to make the move.

We've compiled a list of seven ways you can get that Windows 7 goodness without shelling out quite as many bucks. Read on for savings!

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Filed under: OS Updates, Windows, Microsoft, Windows x64

Windows 7 RTM downloads now available via TechNet and MSDN


Maybe you won't have the chance to get pumped and show off your gold RTM DVD like Steve Ballmer, but if you've got a TechNet/MSDN subscription your downloads are finally ready.

This means that those of you with access who have (wisely) avoided downloading anything from other sources can now get in on the action. As you can see in the screenshot of my Google Reader feed, the Windows Automated Installation Kits are also available.

If you've got a subscription, head on over and get your download on - and enjoy your shiny new Windows 7 RTM!

Filed under: News, Microsoft

Microsoft announces open standards push -- again

Open StandardsMicrosoft is promising to take steps to improve interoperability with competing technologies. This is hardly the first time Microsoft has made such promises, although in the past the company has usually waited until it received a few pokes from one regulatory agency or another.

Microsoft will make APIs and other information available for 6 "high-volume" products:
  • Windows Vista
  • Windows Server 2008
  • SQL Server 2008
  • Office 2007
  • Exchange Server 2007
  • Office SharePoint Server 2007
Developers will not need to pay royalties or any other fees to access these APIs and communication protocols. Microsoft will be publishing over 30,000 pages of documentation on MSDN that had previously only been available under a trade secret license.

From a more practical level, Microsoft will be designing new APIs for Office 2007 that will make it easier for users to choose between a variety of document formats. The company is also launching an "open source interoperability initiative" that should result in better communication between Microsoft products and open source alternatives like OpenOffice.org.

Lest you should think this latest push is entirely altruistic, Mary Jo Foley points out that ISO is scheduled to discuss the standarization of Microsoft's Office Open XML (OOXML) format next week. If Microsoft doesn't get the ISO standard, the company could lose out on government contracts that require open standards.

Filed under: Developer, Windows, Productivity, Microsoft

MSDN Library is now a free download!

MSDNMicrosoft has released the MSDN library as three ISO images you can download and burn. Previously this was only available to developers who subscribed to the MSDN service. The May 2006 edition is out right now, and Rob Caron has said that future editions will also be available as they are released. Microsoft doesn't look like they will charge $1.50 for this one (which remains to be seen), and it isn't a beta either. They will have considerably less demand for this than for Office 2007 I suppose. This is great news for developers everywhere who would benefit from the library on their PC. Microsoft, thanks for making my job easier. For once.

Filed under: OS Updates, Windows, Microsoft

Why you need Vista

Vista Task FlipWell, I'm not entirely convinced that anybody needs Windows Vista just now, but Manuel Clement is, and he's collected a series of videos from Microsoft's Channel 9 that demonstrate some of the most important new features that we'll see in Vista, from the brand new networking and audio stacks to its search integration and file management. A good place to start if you're behind on your Vista videos.

Featured Time Waster

Graveyard Shift - zombie-busting Time Waster

With Halloween fast approaching, it's a great time to get in some practice defending your territory against zombies. In Graveyard Shift, you take aim at zombies and other creepy-crawlies, blasting them into splatters of cartoony green guts. It's a casual first-person shooter, and it's very easy to get the hang of - use the mouse to aim, click to fire. Graveyard Shift has at least 15 levels, and it might even have some secret stages I haven't unlocked yet. They key to getting good at Graveyard Shift is learning to use ...

View more Time Wasters

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