Just as it was the case with Windows Vista, Windows 7 will feature a Logo Program designed to make it easy for consumers to identify products that have been tailored specifically for the operating system. And just as Windows 7 is evolving, with the Release Candidate scheduled for public availability tomorrow, May 5, 2009, so is the Windows 7 Logo Program. In this regard, Microsoft announced the past week that the Windows 7 Logo Program was growing with the Windows HD Imaging Additional Qualification (AQ).

“The Windows HD Imaging AQ will identify devices and software that capture high-fidelity color images and preserve that fidelity through image editing and printing with Windows and will create a common language for customers looking to capture and print high fidelity images,” a member of the Microsoft XPS team stated.

What this means is that Microsoft is placing a great deal of emphasis on Windows 7 XPS, and wants the environment of software and hardware products built around the platform to do the same. In the company's vision XPS is a critical aspect of delivering end-to-end high-fidelity digital imaging, and it is attempting to have its technology adopted by hardware and applications designed to run with Windows 7. AQ is essentially an extra award on top of the Windows 7 Logo, which will indicate that hardware and software products sporting it also support the latest Win7 developments.

“Cameras that make images available using RAW (+ WIC Codec) or HD Photo formats can qualify. Printers that support XPS, PrintSchema, and that pass the Windows Logo ColorFidelity tests can qualify for the AQ. Applications that support WIC to open RAW files, or that support HD Photo for editing, and that print using the XPS print path will be able to qualify for the AQ,” the Microsoft XPS team member added.