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Windows Vista Build Number 5472

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You've probably read this elsewhere: Yesterday we released an interim build of Windows Vista, build number 5472, to Windows Vista Technical Beta program participants, members of the Technology Adoption Program (TAP), and MSDN and TechNet subscribers. We did this to provide testers with a more recent build as well as to encourage application and device driver developers not covered by either TAP or TechBeta programs to accelerate their development efforts. 

Since releasing Windows Vista Beta 2, we’ve received a tremendous amount of customer feedback, and this build includes quality and performance improvements based on that feedback.

Build 5472 is not a CTP (Community Technology Preview), a type of release that normally undergoes more internal testing than an interim build before being released to external testers. Similarly, Beta releases undergo even further internal testing. Instead, this is an External Developer Workstation, or EDW -- an interim build from the RC1 tree. I and others think we have made a great deal of progress on improving overall product quality, so we wanted to give a larger group of customers and partners the ability to test and develop on a more recent build.

In fact, this is the fourth interim build that we have delivered since the Enterprise CTP was released in February; however, this is the first time we have expanded the distribution for an interim build to MSDN and TechNet subscribers. A number of folks in the community see the release of 5472 as evidence of Windows Vista’s increasing quality. What has your experience been? Leave a comment below and let me know.

Why release so frequently? We've heard feedback that frequent releases are appreciated by our customers for testing and deployment planning. The regular feedback we have received has continued to help Microsoft improve Windows Vista and ultimately ensure we are delivering the highest quality product possible.

And before anyone asks the question, yes, you can expect us to deliver RC1 later this quarter :)