December 4, 2008 by Matt Thomas
It would appear that a beta version of Windows 7 will be available in January. Microsoft have made it fairly clear through a blog on Technet that attendees of the MSDN developer conferences will be given their very own DVD containing the coveted Windows 7, beta version. Unfortunately for developers in this country, getting your hands on one will require a trip to the states, since that’s where all the conferences are being held.
Even if you’re not interested enough in the new Windows to travel across the Atlantic, January should still be fairly interesting, as some kind of consensus emerges about the new system. Reports up to now have been cautiously optimistic, the early word being that Microsoft have focussed on performance rather than innovation without the structure to back it up, which many believe is the trap that Vista fell into. However, thus far, Microsoft has limited journalists to carefully controlled press versions or demonstrations, so nobody really knows.
This initial beta, or beta 1 as they’re calling it, isn’t the final beta version. A full, much broader version will be released at some point within the first quarter of 2009. However, beta 1 is expected to be more than enough to go on. The DVD is supposed to be ready by the 13th of January, so look out for reviews.
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