Windows 7 Release Candidate - May 5?

Word is out that the Release Candidate for Windows 7 (the replacement to Windows Vista) will be released to the public on May 7.
http://arstechnica.com/microsoft/news/2009/04/partners-get-windows-7-rc-everyone-else-to-wait-till-may-5.ars

Rumor is that the finished product will ship in the October - November time frame.
http://blogs.zdnet.com/microsoft/?p=2547&tag=nl.e019

A Release Candidate is a version that is basically complete and ready for release. Changes from that release to the final product will be fixes only, not new function.

I've seen two betas earlier and I can tell you that they are rock solid and much better than Vista. I wouldn't hesitate to get a new PC with it when they start shipping.

The obvious question is "Should I upgrade when it's available?". If you are running XP Professional, my response is "Almost certainly not.". When the availability of the final product is clear, I'll say more on my policy regarding upgrades of Operating Systems.