14 DAY TRIAL // Windows 7 RTM Build 7600 is currently available for download via the MSDN Academic Alliance. The past week, starting with August 6th, 2009, Microsoft began offering the gold bits of Windows 7 to MSDN and TechNet subscribers. August 7th marked the availability of Windows 7 RTM for Volume License (VL) customers with an existing Software Assurance (SA) license. And on August 8th, members of the MSDN Academic Alliance (MSDN AA) also were allowed access to Windows 7 RTM, according to Gautam Reddy, Microsoft academic relations manager.
“Microsoft Windows 7 Professional is now available in MSDN Academic Alliance. [In the week of Monday August 10th] Windows 7 will be available through ELMS download for student distribution. Windows 7 Client Retail Professional Edition (English) is included for student distribution in both the x86 and x64 variety. For lab installs, Windows 7 (x86 and x64) Enterprise Edition (English) is included with the volume license keys,” Reddy revealed.
When it comes down to Windows 7 editions, Microsoft has made it clear that all SKU supersede one another as far as features are concerned. Windows 7 Enterprise and Ultimate are one and the same, however, in terms of features, and contain everything that Professional brings to the table, offering on top BitLocker Drive Encryption, Multilingual User Interface and UNIX application-support.
“ELMS is a Web-based software distribution and management application hosted by e-academy. As a turnkey system, ELMS enables you to authenticate eligible students and faculty online and automate the ordering and distribution of MSDN AA software to students and faculty,” Microsoft explained. “ELMS is available to all Program Administrators worldwide, and is currently available in five languages: English, French, Spanish, German and Japanese. ELMS is available to your end-users in the following eight languages: English, French, German, Spanish, Japanese, Portuguese, Turkish and Russian.”