On the basis of the feedback Microsoft received after the release of its Windows 7 Beta, as many as 36 improvements have been incorporated in the Windows 7 Release Candidate (RC) - which, according to rumors could be made available in April.

In a post to the Engineering Windows 7 blog, Steven Sinofsky - senior VP for the Windows and Windows Live Engineering Group - said that the Thursday-released list of improvements includes "quite a few changes."

According to a Microsoft program manager, Chaitanya Sareen, while most changes are under the hood changes - like bug fixes, compatibility fixes, and performance improvements - the users will definitely "enjoy a taste of some changes made by three of our feature teams: Core User Experience, Find & Organize and Devices & Media."

The fairly long list of the improvements has been separated into nine categories, including the desktop experience, touch, and Windows Media Player.

A quick run-through of some of the proposed changes includes the following:- alteration of User Account Control to address security issues; better audio consistency, additional support for FAT32 hard drives; local support for .MOV files to Windows Media Player; incorporation of "Aero Peek" window transparency tool; combination of the launch and switch function of the Windows Logo button; more taskbar space; more icons; and a more noticeable flashing open window effect - an orange-colored window with seven flashes!