Windows 7 SP1 Beta Coming Soon

Microsoft said that Windows 7 SP1 Beta will launch in July.

During TechEd North America 2010 in New Orleans, Microsoft Server and Tools Division president Bob Muglia said during his keynote speech that a public beta of Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2's Service Pack 1 will be available by the end of July. An actual calendar date was not specified.

The final release is expected to hit both platforms sometime in Q4 2010, however it will not include any new features that are specific to Windows 7. "For Windows 7, SP1 will simply be the combination of updates already available through Windows Update and additional hotfixes based on feedback by our customers and partners," reads the official Windows Blog.

However Windows Server 2008 R2 will receive an updated Remote Desktop client designed to work with RemoteFX--this feature enables a local-like desktop environment over the network. Dynamic Memory will also be another added feature, enabling Windows Server Hyper-V to "dynamically allocate more or less memory to each VM as needed, provided a more scalable and better performing VDI environment."

If Microsoft does indeed launch SP1 by the end of the year, downgrade rights from Windows 7 to Windows XP will end upon its release, months earlier than the original late April 2011 deadline. The company previously said that downgrade rights would be canceled in April or when SP1 goes public, whichever comes first.