Windows 7 Services Pack 1 beta download is available now on Microsoft download center.  This Windows 7 Services pack 1 available news was announced by Microsoft at its Worldwide Partner Conference 2010. The official press release goes like this

Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2 SP1 Beta helps keep your PCs and servers on the latest support level, provides ongoing improvements to the Windows Operating System (OS), by including previous updates delivered over Windows Update as well as continuing incremental updates to the Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2 platforms based on customer and partner feedback, and is easy for organizations to deploy a single set of updates.

However, Windows 7 Service Pack 1 beta doesn’t come with tons of new features and mostly contains all the previous updates on Windows 7.

Windows 7 SP1 Beta Features :

Changes specific to Windows 7

• Additional support for communication with third-party federation services
• Additional support has been added to allow Windows 7 clients to effectively communicate with third-party identity federation services (those supporting the WS-Federation passive profile protocol). This change enhances platform interoperability, and improves the ability to communicate identity and authentication information between organizations.

Improved HDMI audio device performance

• A small percentage of users have reported issues in which the connection between computers running Windows 7 and HDMI audio devices can be lost after system reboots. Updates have been incorporated into SP1 to ensure that connections between Windows 7 computers and HDMI audio devices are consistently maintained.

Corrected behavior when printing mixed-orientation XPS documents

• Prior to the release of SP1, some customers have reported difficulty when printing mixed-orientation XPS documents (documents containing pages in both portrait and landscape orientation) using the XPS Viewer, resulting in all pages being printed entirely in either portrait or landscape mode. This issue has been addressed in SP1, allowing users to correctly print mixed-orientation documents using the XPS Viewer.

Changes common to both client and server platforms

• Change to behavior of “Restore previous folders at logon” functionality
• SP1 changes the behavior of the “Restore previous folders at logon” function available in the Folder Options Explorer dialog. Prior to SP1, previous folders would be restored in a cascaded position based on the location of the most recently active folder. That behavior changes in SP1 so that all folders are restored to their previous positions.

Enhanced support for additional identities in RRAS and IPsec

• Support for additional identification types has been added to the Identification field in the IKEv2 authentication protocol. This allows for a variety of additional forms of identification (such as E-mail ID or Certificate Subject) to be used when performing authentication using the IKEv2 protocol.

Support for Advanced Vector Extensions (AVX)

• There has always been a growing need for ever more computing power and as usage models change, processors instruction set architectures evolve to support these growing demands. Advanced Vector Extensions (AVX) is a 256 bit instruction set extension for processors. AVX is designed to allow for improved performance for applications that are floating point intensive. Support for AVX is a part of SP1 to allow applications to fully utilize the new instruction set and register extensions.

This Windows 7 services pack 1 weighing 1.22 GB in size the build number is 7601.16562.100603-1800 and was complied on June 3rd, 2010.  You can download Windows 7 SP1 is available via Windows Update service and also you can download it as a standalone installer.

Download Windows 7 Services Pack 1 DVD.iso [1.2 GB]

PS: you can burn Windows 7 SP 1 ISO to a DVD or extract it using tools like WinRAR. Once you have extracted, double click the file setup.exe found in the package.

Windows 7 Touch Pack, A Windows 7 games and application collection that are designed for multi-touch enabled displays running Windows 7 that interacting with using your fingers. To use these touch games and programs, you need either a laptop with a screen that supports multitouch or a desktop PC connected to a touchscreen that supports multitouch (including all-in-one PCs with touch screens).

This Microsoft touch pack contains six applications optimized for Windows 7 Touch is now available from Microsoft as a free download.

Windows 7 Touch Pack includes:

Windows 7 Finger Touch Game

• Microsoft Blackboard, an intricate game of physics in which you solve a puzzle by creating a fanciful machine on a blackboard.
• Microsoft Garden Pond, a tranquil game that takes place in serene Japanese water gardens.
• Microsoft Rebound, a game in which you use your fingertips to control Tesla spheres with an electrical field between them to catapult a metal game ball into your opponent’s goal.

Windows 7 Finger Touch Application

• Microsoft Surface Globe, a program that you can use to explore the earth as a flat 2-D map or as an immersive 3-D experience.
  
• Microsoft Surface Collage, a program that you can use to explore and interact with your photos and arrange them as a desktop background.
• Microsoft Surface Lagoon, a screen saver and interactive water simulation, complete with a meditative rock arrangement and playful, shy fish.

However, This Microsoft touch pack software is only available to Windows 7 users running Genuine Windows so it does mean you have to validate your installation before you will be given access to the download file.  This is a very straightforward and quick process.

Microsoft Touch Pack for Windows 7 Download

Windows 7 Application Compatibility List, a Microsoft Office excel spreadsheet list that listed down all third party software application compatible with Windows 7 operating system. This Windows 7 application compatible list so that you can query the list against your pre-existing application inventory.

All the third party software application on the list already pass the Windows 7 Logo Program testing requirements for compatibility with 32-bit and 64-bit Windows 7, and have thereby earned the right to display the Windows 7 Logo Program logo with the application. These products are identified with the compatibility status “Compatible – Windows 7 Logo.”

The latest version of the list of Windows 7 Application Compatibility List for IT Professionals contains not less than 9619 applications received logo compatibility with Windows 7. However, the list is available not only IT professionals, but also to consumers. In addition, there is a special service of Windows 7 Compatibility Center for those consumers who want to check compatibility with Windows 7 specific software product.

Download: Windows 7 Application Compatibility List

Previously we have posted a Windows 7 Keyboard ShortCut Keys list before. At now, here is a complete Windows 7 Keyboard Shortcuts eBook’ from Winvistaclub that comprises more than 200 shortcuts which help make your computer easier to use.

This Windows 7 ShortCut Key eBook contain more than 200 keyboard shortcuts containing almost all the keyboard shortcuts that are available in Windows 7 and its default programs like Internet Explorer, Paint, WordPad, MS Office, Calculator, Help, Media Player, Media Center, Windows Journal, Internet Explorer, etc.

Meanwhile, The eBook is bookmarks-ready, both in PDF and XPS format, with a fully linked content index

Download Windows 7 keyboard shortcuts e-book

Windows 7 Test Drive, A Microsoft web services that allow anyone to experiences live Windows 7 online straight from web browser.  If you don’t have Windows 7 installed, you can test out Windows 7 in a virtual environment on web browser. Plus more, This experience provides user with a guided tour of Windows 7 features such as the taskbar, libraries, version control and checking, troubleshooting, Windows ribbon, and Internet Explorer 8.

What is a Test Drive?

Experience Genuine* Windows 7 running live on our servers in a test-drive environment. One click lets you test and assess Windows 7 from your browser through a collection of fully-featured virtual labs. Supporting videos provide a step-by-step walkthrough of the features and deeper product information can be found in the Learn More resources.

However, anyone that interested to test out Windows 7 must have Windows Live ID to use Windows 7 Test Drive. Then a short virtual labs and supporting videos will give you a chance to explore Windows 7 feature by feature with no installation required. Try out a few of the virtual labs and watch a few videos today to learn how and why you should develop on the Windows.

Check out Windows 7 Test Drive @ www.microsoft.com/click/WindowsTestDrive/Dev/

Windows 7 Solution Center is a one-stop portal where you can find useful information and solutions for your Windows 7 operating system. It is designed to help end users deal with possible problems associated with Windows 7. The Solution Center covers a wide range of topics, including installation, upgrading and activation, performance, safety and security, Internet Explorer, entertainment, and productivity.

On the main page, you ill be provided with key resources and top solutions. Key resources provides direct links to resource pages like Windows 7 Home page, What’s new in Windows 7, IT-Professionals: Visit the Windows Client TechCenter on TechNet, Can my PC run Windows 7?, Visit the Windows 7 Help & How To Center and Windows 7 system requirements. Top solutions list all the famous problem fixing solutions for issue related to Windows 7 to end-users such as Installing Windows: Recommended links, 32-bit and 64-bit Windows: frequently asked questions, Windows 7 Compatibility Center, and top answers from Getting Ready for Windows 7 forum.

Windows 7 Solution Center offers a collection of helpful links, you can easily look for guidance or tips and tricks on using Windows 7.

Get help at the Windows 7 Solution Center

HomeGroup, a new Windows 7 folder sharing features present in Windows 7 that you to connect two or more windows 7 computer to share your music, pictures, video, and document libraries as well as printers with others in your local network. This Windows 7 HomeGroup features takes out the headache out of sharing files and printers on a home network.

Meanwhile, It also automatically sets up sharing so that all media shared with the HomeGroup is accessible from Windows Media Player, Windows Media Center, and other compatible media devices in the home. HomeGroup optimizes sharing by default for open access between the trusted groups of PC’s, which serves the mainstream audience with basic to intermediate skills.

However, it does not preclude additional needs for discretionary access to data, which is important to a significant set of users and is enabled using legacy methods that have been in Windows for a long time.  However, the main goal of HomeGroup is to provide the largest set of users with a simple, convenient, and intuitive method by which to share files and printers in the home.

So, Microsoft has released a Windows 7 Home Group guides that explains how you can set homegroup features among your trusted Windows 7 opearating. Beside that, it also covers how you previous versions of Windows can access files on computer running Windows 7.

Download Windows 7 & HomeGroup Guide

Free Windows 7 Enterprise download is available now for 90 day trial. This 90 day Trial Windows 7 Enterprise Edition is specifically designed for IT Professionals, so that Windows administrator can test out windows 7 software and hardware on a final version of windows 7 enterprise product.

Meanwhile, This free Windows 7 Enterprise download provides opportunity for Windows administrator more familiar with the key improvements over previous versions of the Windows operating system, and experience firsthand how Windows 7 can make your PC environment more productive, secure, and manageable.

Here is the guideline before implement Windows 7 Enterprise trial:

1. Protect your PC and data. Be sure to back up your data and please don’t test Windows 7 on your primary home or business PC.
2. You have 10 days to activate the product. If not activated within 10 days, the system will shut down once every hour until activated.
3. The 90-day Trial is the full working version of the Windows 7 Enterprise, the version most of you will be working with in your corporate environment. It will not require a product key.
4. The 90-day Trial will shut down once every hour when you have reached the end of the 90-day evaluation period.
5. The 90-day Trial is offered for a limited time and in limited quantity. The download will be available through March 31, 2010, while supplies last.
6. After the 90-day Trial expires, if you wish to continue to use Windows 7 Enterprise, please note that you will be required to purchase and perform a clean installation of Windows 7, including drivers and applications.
7. Be sure to turn on automatic updates in Windows Update in case we publish updates for the 90-day Trial.

Minimum Windows 7 Enterprise System Requirements

• GHz or faster 32-bit (x86) or 64-bit (x64) processor
• 1 GB of RAM (32-bit) / 2 GB RAM (64-bit)
• 16 GB available disk space (32-bit) / 20 GB (64-bit)
• DirectX 9 graphics processor with WDDM 1.0 or higher driver
• DVD-compatible drive
• Internet access (fees may apply)

Meanwhile, there are 32-bit and 64-bit versions of Windows 7 are only available in five languages: English, French, German, Japanese, and Spanish. Just choose the version that fits the system you’ll be using and pick your language to register for and download the 90-day Trial.

Download Windows 7 Enterprise Version

Windows 7 Training Kit for Developers, a Windows 7 development kits that help windows developer understand more about Windows 7. Beside that, this Windows 7 training kit is updated until RTM version and includes demonstrations, presentations and hands-on labs that help developers learn how to create applications that are compatible with Windows 7.

The purpose of this Windows 7 training kit for developers provides guidelines for software developers who want to make sure that their applications are compatible with Windows 7 and make use of Windows 7 specific features like the new taskbar. Meanwhile, Windows 7 features topics going to cover are Taskbar, Sensor and Location, Libraries and Shell, DirectX, Multitouch etc. Plus more, the 6 new application compatibility labs namely Version Checking, Data Redirection, UIPI, Installer Detection, Session 0 Isolation, and High DPI, to help you get over the most common application compatibility issues.

Beside that, there isadditional information like whitepapers, links to MSDN, links to videos from Channel 9 for all the topics in the training kit.

However, there are some system requirement are required to meet as below:

• Supported Operating Systems: Windows 7
• Windows 7
• Windows 7SDK
• Visual Studio 2008
• Windows Code Pack API for .NET Framework

The Windows 7 training kit for developers comes as a single self-extracting executable that will uncompress the contents to a selected folder. The contents can then be accessed with a modern web browser.

Here is the download link for the Windows 7 Training Kit for Developers.

Download Windows 7 Training Kit for Developers

Dell has recently published the dell Windows 7 drivers download page whereby you will find the first set of system drivers for the Windows 7 OS systems. According to Dell blog, they posting Dell Windows 7 driver early due to they have received many requests from our business customers that we post our Windows 7 drivers so they can begin testing and qualifying the new OS within their environments.

So, they posting new Dell Windows 7 driver support pages and looking forward ahead of Windows 7 general availability on October 22, 2009. However, the Dell Windows is yet to be completed. Plus more, DELL will be posting additional drivers in the coming days.

To download DELL drivers for Windows 7, you can directly head over to the DELL Drivers page and select your model.

Visit : DELL Windows 7 Drivers page