Alpha: Is the internal beta version, generally not to external release, there will be a lot of bugs. Only testers are generally used.
Beta: Also beta, this phase of the version will always add new features. Launched after the alpha version.
RC: (Release candidate) as the name implies! Used in software is the candidate version. The release candidate version is on the system platform. RC version will no longer add new features, mainly focus on debugging.
GA: General availability, officially released version, in foreign countries are using GA to explain release version.
RTM: (Release to manufacture) is to give the factory a large number of pressure tablets version, the content is the same as the official version, but the RTM version also has a limit, evaluation version. But the main program code is the same as the official version.
OEM: It is a random version that is sold to computer manufacturers with computers. can only be shipped with the machine, not retail. Only new installations can be installed and cannot be upgraded from an older operating system. The packaging is not as beautiful as the retail version, usually with only one CD and manual (authorisation).
RVL: Claims to be the official version, in fact, RVL is not the name of the version at all. It is a Chinese version/English version of the document cracked out.
EVAL: The eval version, which is circulating on the network, is similar to the evaluation version, and there is no difference between the functionality and the retail version.
RTL: Retail is the true official version of the Retail edition. In the i386 folder of the installation disk there is a eula.txt, and finally a row eulaid, is your version. For example, the official version of Simplified Chinese is EULAID:WX.4_PRO_RTL_CN, the official version of Traditional Chinese is wx.4_pro_rtl_tw. Where: if it is WX. The beginning is the official version, WB. The beginning is beta. _pre, representing the family edition; _pro, representing the Professional edition.
α, β, λ commonly used to represent the three stages of the software testing process, α is the first stage, generally only for internal testing use; Beta is the second phase that has eliminated most of the imperfections in the software, but there may still be flaws and vulnerabilities that are generally only available to specific user groups for testing purposes; λ is the third stage , at this time the product has been quite mature, just in a few places to do further optimization processing can be listed and released.
From for notes (Wiz)
Interpretation of various test procedures such as α, β, RC, etc.
