Near-final Windows Vista version issued

It’s beginning to look a lot like Vista.

Microsoft on Friday issued Release Candidate 1 of Windows Vista, a near-final test version of the of the oft-delayed operating system.

Retiring Windows chief Jim Allchin announced the release Friday in an e-mail to testers. In his note, which was also posted to the Windows Vista Team blog, Allchin said there are “a lot of improvements since Beta 2,” which was released in May. Among the changes he highlighted are tweaks in the user interface, more device drivers and improved performance.

Work on Vista is not done, Allchin wrote. “We’ll keep plugging away on application compatibility, as well as fit and finish,” he wrote. He noted that software makers should use the RC1 release to certify their applications.

The software maker is shooting to wrap up development work in time to ship the operating system to large companies in November and have a mainstream launch of Vista in January.

Read more: ZDNet News