Windows 7: Windows 7 Test Drive – A New Developer Resource

A few days ago, we launched the Windows 7 Test Drive site. This site offers developers a chance to get first-hand experience in developing for Windows 7, even if they don’t have Windows 7 installed on their development environment. Using the Windows 7 Test Drive site, you can learn about developing on Windows 7 in a virtual environment. This experience provides the user with a guided tour of Windows 7 features from a developer's perspective with the goal of engaging and enabling them to develop on the Windows Platform.

The idea behind the Test Drive lab is to create a very low barrier-to-entry development experience for Windows 7. It is a free tool for you to use whenever you want and requires no special software installation (besides a single ActiveX). All you need is a Windows Live ID, a few clear hours, and a visit to the Windows 7 Test Drive for Developers to take a guided tour of Windows 7. The 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.





The first version of the Windows 7 Test Drive includes the majority of the Windows 7 Training kit topics, but not all of the labs. For example, the Test Drive includes the following labs:

• Taskbar (without the Thumbnail Preview or customer switcher due the Basic Windows 7 Video Driver used to facilitate this virtual lab)
• Libraries
• Version Control
• Version Checking
• Troubleshooting Platform
• Windows Ribbon
• Sensor and Location
• IE8

This content along with the Windows 7 Training Course on Channel 9 Learning Center, is a great resource for developers.