14 DAY TRIAL // Microsoft is now gearing up to make Service Pack 1 RTM available to all Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2 users worldwide. Per the company’s General Availability deadline, public downloads of Build 7601.17514.101119-1850 will go live tomorrow, February 22nd, 2011.
This is the first upgrade for both platforms, and while the Service Pack pushes both Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2 to the next level, it does so quite differently.
SP1 is considered just a minor upgrade to the Windows 7 client, with no new features being added, and the focus being placed on introducing hotfixes, optimizations and patches.
At the same time, SP1 is a tad more consistent for Windows Server 2008 R2, bringing two new features to the table, Dynamic Memory and RemoteFX.
MSDN and TechNet subscribers, as well as business customers with Volume License agreements already received access to the Windows 7 SP1 RTM bits since last week.
And the week before that, the software giant announced the release to manufacturing of the service pack as well as the fact that OEMs had started receiving it.
Per Microsoft’s usual delivery strategy, Windows 7 SP1 RTM will be offered through the Download Center.
Customers can of course, download the bits and upgrade their copies of Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2 manually.
At the same time, SP1 will also be served through Windows Update. This is the best way for end users to get SP1, as the package that will be downloaded and deployed will be tailored specifically to their machine and existing copy of Windows 7.
As a rule, the standalone installers (or Network Installation Packages) are generally much larger compared to the WU packages which are bound to deliver the best installation possible.
I will provide an update when Windows 7 SP1 RTM Build 7601.17514.101119-1850 public downloads go live, so make sure to keep your eyes on this space.