SP1 RC for Windows 7 / Server 2008 R2 Ready

The Release Candidate for Service Pack 1 is now available to download for Windows 7 and Server 2008 R2.

Tuesday Microsoft’s Brandon Leblanc said that the company has officially unleashed the Release Candidate (RC) of Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2 Service Pack 1 (SP1) for public consumption. This will be the last public beta build prior to the final Release to Manufacturing (gone gold) build.

"As previously announced, the only new features added to the SP1 are the Windows Server 2008 R2-related virtualization technologies, Dynamic Memory and RemoteFX--please see the Windows Server Division Weblog for more details," he wrote in a blog. "These features will help customers who choose to deploy Windows through Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI) by enabling a more scalable and rich user experience."

He added that there are (still) no new features specific to Windows 7. Instead, SP1 will enable Windows 7-based PCs to "take advantage of these server-based features to provide a more scalable and richer VDI experience for end users."

Once installed, Dynamic Memory will allow Microsoft customers to achieve increased density when consolidating physical servers into a virtual realm, providing them with predictable performance and linear scalability. As for RemoteFX, this will allow IT administrators to deliver a "rich graphics experience to end-users through virtualized desktops."

To download the new Service Pack 1 Release Candidate, head here. The minimum Windows 7 system requirements are as listed below:

• 1 GHz or faster 32-bit (x86) or 64-bit (x64) processor
• 1 GB of RAM (32-bit) / 2 GB RAM (64-bit)
• 16 GB available disk space (32-bit) / 20 GB (64-bit)
• DirectX 9 graphics processor with WDDM 1.0 or higher driver
• DVD-compatible drive
• Internet access (fees may apply)