Windows 7 public beta available tomorrow (1 Viewer)

In case anyone is interested Windows 7 should be available from here from tomorrow.

I've have an slightly earlier version and it look very very promising, very quick, very clean (works great for an early beta) a kind of striped down lean Vista with some nice new features, this could be the best MS O/S since Windows 2000.

Vista beta testers got a free version of Ultimate so might be worth your while to test it out, I don't know yet if it's available via MS Connect which is the official public test/ feedback site, you'll need a LiveID account (i.e. hotmail) but it's free

I'll update any info as I get it

I've been playing with it today (was able to download and install as I am a part of a non-public beta) and it is definitely interesting and has some cool features. Will probably play around with it some more today and see what the word is when others can download and install.

UPDATE: clicky

Key points:

Available for a limited time during the day on January 9, 2009

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No idea of when that time will be

It will only be made available to the first 2.5 million people to download the code

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You'll need to get in quick

The beta will only support Windows Vista SP1 to Windows 7 upgrades. If you're not running Vista SP1 right now, upgrade before you try to install the Windows 7 beta

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Boo hiss but hang on a sec.....

There is also a clean install option for the Win7 beta

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Ah so you can install a standalone version - thank God for that ! Don't do an upgrade from Vista to a beta product !

The Windows 7 Beta will expire on August 1

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No surprise there.

Interesting... I read somewhere that it still won't include the WinFS filesystem - mind you, I'm not sure I'd be completely comfortable to use something that has been delayed so long in production. What could possibly be taking so long? Or maybe it's been de-prioritised.

Got it and installed it on Saturday (after the stalled launch) and first impressions are pretty damn good.

Install took about 25 mins (I did have BSOD during setup which probably delayed things) still a bit annoyed that even when I selected my location as UK it did not default to that time zone but at least that part is at the end of the install unlike XP where it's half way through

Good things:

It detected my graphics card and monitor straight off and defaulted to my native resolution which was a nice touch why did we have to wait so long for that ?

It's quick - like a stripped down version of Vista (which it kind of is ) OK I have a very quick PC but it's quicker than my lean install of XP.

UAC is much better - easier to change and less obtrusive.

Explorer - again much better it doesn't open to some stupid folder by default it opens to your Libraries (downloads, music, video etc.) with a direct link to Computer to browse all of your computer. Personally I store this stuff in different locations than the Windows default so I'm going to find a hack for this.

Gadgets toolbar has gone - you can use them anywhere on the desktop you like.

Bad things:

I took about 2.5 hours to install my modem and a firewall though to be fair the modem was a driver issue (Windows 7 BSOD'ed with the modem connected) but finally got it sorted, though even when I installed a new version which worked I still had to reboot, disconnect and reconnect the modem for it to work.

The only (free) Firewall I could get to work was Zonealarm v7 trial suite.

I can't be to derogatory about it because it's a beta and things will not work but for once I can say this is a very impressive O/S already, I even know people using it as their main O/S - not bad for a beta .

I haven't played with it in real anger so far but if I was to go out on a limb this could be the best Microsoft O/S since Windows 2000 (and I've used them all )

Ok so I was downloading windows7 at dialup speed and I thought maybe I am going to need a key, I tryed 2 times on the microsoft site to get a download link just to get a key and I recieved 2 different Well, finally got the downloaded started on Saturday--but had to use IE to do it.

22nd October in shops (UK) by all accounts. The RC version is available for download now until the end of July and will work until 1st March 2010 clicky if you want to give it a whirl.

I was impressed that Windows 7 readily added itself to the growing boot menu.

I already had a dual boot XP/Vista. But setting this up had been a bit tedious whereas adding Windows 7 to a spare volume just did it.

Hopefully I will free up that Vista volume soon

Great.
Chris

Im using it as my main os.

Id say its better than vista. Cleaner and a little easy to use. But mainly it feels more comfortable. I guess the reason why i like it a lot is because its got a lot of improvements to the user interface which just makes me happy as it shows they care about me

The bad points i have to say about it is Internet explorer. Ive been using opera for the last year for the mouse gestures and other easy to use things. but this time i was determined to use IE for my main browser and use plug ins for the mouse gestures and the other improvements that opera has.
But after a month im thinking of switching back. Opera has the in built pop up blocker that serves me very well. IE's in built one is crap and i couldn't be bothered getting a third party pop up blocker.
The other annoying issue i had with it was when i would click on certain links it would open up a whole Internet explorer instead of just using a tab. Very hard to navigate through my windows when they aren't in tabs.

Other issues with it are drivers. My video driver is playing up, I installed the latest driver off the manufacturers but it sometimes crashing my comp and blue screens when i use extended desktop.
But that problem is a driver issue and im sure my video card manufacturer will release a update soon. (hopefully)

But for anyone else thinking of getting windows 7 when it comes out (or even the beta). I say go for it if you have the money. Its not tooo much different from vista though.

I agree. Almost everything that people disliked about XP and Vista, Microsoft has greatly improved on with Windows 7. I too have been using it as my main OS (with external storage for anything important of course) and I don't have any complaints.

Spam reported !

lol. I hope that was a joke.

The mods removed the spam post. But the thread is an interesting one, none the less.

I need relief from Vista. It is just not Microsoft's Opus.