Microsoft Windows 7 beta due out in January 2009?

Not even a full day after hearing that the Windows Vista / Server SP2 beta would be breaking loose for select individuals tomorrow, in flies word that a Windows 7 beta could be out and about as early as next month. Granted, this conjecture is far less written in stone, but on the official MSDN Developer Conference website we're told that "all attendees will receive a Windows 7 Beta 1 DVD." The events are scheduled to run from December to January, and given the whole "attendees at events scheduled for December will have DVDs mailed to them when they become available" coupled with the line we quoted before, it's a pretty safe bet that next month is it. Hang tight, Windows lovers -- your first real peek into the wide world of WinVII could be just around the bend.

[Via PC World]

[FLaSHBaCK @ Dec 3rd 2008 4:07PM]

lets hope its not a total let down...

[Invisiblemoose @ Dec 3rd 2008 4:09PM]

With that sort of negative attitude, how can you be disappointed?

[Rekit @ Dec 3rd 2008 4:12PM]

@Invisiblemoose

how existential of you

[OneLove @ Dec 3rd 2008 4:41PM]

...cause I already own a partial let down (vista).

[treyk4 @ Dec 3rd 2008 5:27PM]

The new GUI looks awesome. I have high hopes for 7
Hopefully microsoft learned from their mistakes...

Let me know when a torrent's available, I want to see this thing firsthand.

[STIEN @ Dec 3rd 2008 5:19PM]

my boss/uncle already has it. it basically is vista with a few minor tweaks. sidebar is gone: gadgets just go on the desktop, search has been improved, and there is linux command prompt. and there is one flaw. documents now is personal documents. der da der

[rock99rock @ Dec 3rd 2008 5:20PM]

Wasn't our first peek the alpha that was released to the torrents some month.5 ago?

[SOOPERGOOMAN @ Dec 3rd 2008 6:39PM]

WHOO HOO I'm on THAT LIST!

[GeekPI @ Dec 3rd 2008 6:40PM]

So far, it's quite impressive. Get ready to break out those PIII boxes, like I did.

http://geekpi.com/?p=38

[Ellianth @ Dec 3rd 2008 6:54PM]

Imagine my surprise when I clicked geekpi's link and found an actual website with information that was relevant to the topic he commented on!!

+1 for you sir.

[nick @ Dec 3rd 2008 4:08PM]

The sleeping Giant has been awaken and it's going to be eating raw meat for dinner and Apple's for dessert.

[Vander @ Dec 3rd 2008 4:27PM]

:| So, thanks Motoman SDA10 Gourmet-san for the Menu

http://www.engadget.com/2008/12/02/motoman-sda10-robot-shows-off-its-cooking-camera-building-skill/

[quandmeme @ Dec 3rd 2008 4:30PM]

Bring on the pressure. As a Macboi, I'm cheering for an awesome and early Windows7 so that Apple will make Snow Leopard even more solid. I'm really liking what I'm hearing about Windows7. Simple things like widgets on the desktop will catapult their usability for me. Cupertino, start your copiers.

[Kelmon @ Dec 4th 2008 4:25AM]

@nick

Hahaha. Er, no. Unless Windows 7 turns out to be revolutionary then the only impact this will have on Apple is reducing the number of defections from Windows to the Mac OS or Linux. In order to claw back the market share that has been lost Microsoft not only needs to hit a home run with their next version of Windows but they also need their competition to slip up so that their customers will consider switching. This is largely what happened in the 1990s when Microsoft released Windows 95 and Apple, frankly, just went to pieces.

[superhobo @ Dec 4th 2008 8:07AM]

Can't wait...for apple pie...mmm mmm

[kjb434 @ Dec 3rd 2008 4:09PM]

Great!

I really want to upgrade to Vista from XP SP3. I'm going to wait until Win7 since the specs won't be much more (or any higher) than Vista.

[Dhanik @ Dec 3rd 2008 4:16PM]

Might not be a major issue, but Ed Bott (Windows blogger) was claiming that you won't be able to upgrade from XP to 7. You would have to back up stuff and do a clean install. Just a heads up!

[Electromodo @ Dec 3rd 2008 4:21PM]

Right... at the time when Vista got stabilized and people start liking it, comes the new Windows 7. This means Microsoft will bump up the prices for Vista (like it did with XP), and shove the new buggy OS upon us...

Or am I wrong, people? I really like Vista but do not want to be forced to run a new OS.

[kjb434 @ Dec 3rd 2008 4:24PM]

That's fine with me.

I prefer that way of installing operating systems anyway.

It gives me the ability go through everything installed and then to re-install only the programs I use.

I even re-install XP, previously Win2000, previously Win98c, once a year by formatting. It's like my spring cleaning.

The reality is that most of Windows' problems occur from third party programs and drivers shoving files everywhere. WinXP and Win2000 were first big attempts at separating direct hardware control from third party drivers (prevent blue screen of death and crash).

I'm ready for Win7.

[STIEN @ Dec 3rd 2008 5:23PM]

@electromodo

this is actually a smart marketing plan for microsoft. by the time 7 comes out, all the software will be compatible, and since 7 is the same kernel as vista, everything will already work, and people will be happy

[schmitty338 @ Dec 3rd 2008 5:26PM]

@Electromoto

That's right....Ballmer and Gates are going to knock on your door with some hired goons, grab $200 from your wallet, reformat all the computers in your house and install windows 7, destroying all the copies of older Microsoft products in the meantime...

*roll eyes*

[KarlW @ Dec 3rd 2008 6:54PM]

Vista was also a pretty big shift to get drivers in to user mode. GPU drivers caused most of the bluescreens, so WDDM shoved them in to user mode.

That's a very significant factor in explaining Vista's stability.

[donkamero @ Dec 3rd 2008 4:11PM]

I wouldn't mind trying this out, I sort of bypassed Vista (haven't really felt the need to upgrade.) If only I was a developer.

[StalematE @ Dec 3rd 2008 4:13PM]

bust out your blue shirts and get em sweaty, it's time for some serious beta testing!

[kyle allen @ Dec 3rd 2008 5:54PM]

im still running the vista release candidate, its time for an upgrade!

[Aaquib @ Dec 3rd 2008 10:23PM]

Did you say upgrade? If so, its the Mac that you want!

[_||_ @ Dec 4th 2008 3:58AM]

Neowin is reporting that Beta 1 DVDs will be handed out Jan 13 2009

[ruben @ Dec 3rd 2008 4:14PM]

I read this as saying WinVII, as in you will have total Winvii when I start using this awesome taskbar (not to be confused with another awesome bar).

[tcc3 @ Dec 3rd 2008 8:17PM]

Why did he get low ranked? Its a moderately amusing pun. Nothing inflammatory.

[Backlin @ Dec 3rd 2008 9:33PM]

I've heard better jokes from that guy that unboxed the TAM.

[aardWolf @ Dec 3rd 2008 4:15PM]

Windows 7 is just Mojave...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Mojave_Experiment

[idiot @ Dec 3rd 2008 4:33PM]

really?

[aardWolf @ Dec 3rd 2008 4:39PM]

Geez... I was just kidding. You guys are touchy with your Windows!

[a ham sandwich @ Dec 3rd 2008 4:50PM]

its not ENTIRELY your fault. it's a tough crowd here.

[aardWolf @ Dec 3rd 2008 5:42PM]

Oh, I see. How about this?

I'm so excited about Windows 7!!! Macs are evil, and Linux bites the big one. :-)

[John @ Dec 3rd 2008 5:46PM]

try not being a douchebag corporate branding addict and you just might find a happy medium.

[boe @ Dec 3rd 2008 7:32PM]

Yeah - from what I hear it is Vista with a little more lipstick. I really hope that is wrong as I'd like something better than XP but not quite as limited on gaming as Ubuntu. I would love to believe Ballmer learned from the performance mistakes of Vista but he's a pretty thick SOB so I have my doubts but hopes the sweaty bastage got it right this time.

[rask @ Dec 3rd 2008 4:15PM]

Microsoft announced that the beta would come in Jan 09 at PDC 6 weeks ago. There's nothing new about that.

You can grab PDC build of Windows 7(Milestone 3 build) from Torrents right now. Then download the Blue Badge tool from withinwindows.com to unlock all the goodies in it.

The new taskbar isn't feature complete in this build(which is why it was locked in the first place) but gives you a good idea at what Microsoft is aiming for.

The OS is blazing fast even at the M3 build. I'm using Vista right now and love that but am REALLY looking forward to getting Windows 7.

[Ahmed Alzayani @ Dec 3rd 2008 4:46PM]

i used the Windows 7 build 6801 for full week, but it's too bugy to be used, firefox has so many issue on it, i couldn't even save files form the internet unless i used download manger. the gadget on the desktop have strange behavior , and every time i try to search from the start menu , the windows freeze and some time exolorer.exe crash .... hopefully the beta will be much more stable ....

[G @ Dec 3rd 2008 4:18PM]

I can't wait to upgrade from Vista, everything is so slooooooooooooooow.

[fieldcar @ Dec 3rd 2008 4:25PM]

What are you doing wrong? my $450 Acer aspire as4530 fly's in vista.

[kjb434 @ Dec 3rd 2008 4:25PM]

You must have a crappy computer.

Vista runs blazing fast on all the computers I use at the office which are slower than what I have on my XP Sp3 home machine.

[JerkfacedFed @ Dec 3rd 2008 5:03PM]

if your computer is running slow then UPGRADE THE COMPUTER, NOT THE OS

[CraigJ @ Dec 3rd 2008 6:55PM]

@fieldcar

Your mileage may vary. I'm running Vists 64 on a a fairly new Dell Optiplex, Core 2, 4 GB RAM, dual 7200 RPM SATA 3 drives. I have all the security crap turned off, and I turned off all visual effects, etc (looks like windows 2000). This was a clean install, not an upgrade. SP1 is installed, all the patches are installed, and the the

Windows XP Running in Fusion on my MacBook is 20% or more faster at the same tasks than my Vista box, and the box only has 2GB and a 5400 RPM drive.

It may be that my install is flawed, I don't know, but no one at dell or Microsoft has any suggestions on how to make it run fast. I will be doing a clean install of 7 as soon as beta is available - it HAS to be better than Vista.

Any I'm not buying that Vista flys on your Acer. I've seem Vista running on a lot of systems here at work and at home, and the fact is that it is in all cases significantly slower than XP on the same hardware, even with all the security crap and visual stuff turned off. Even Microsoft admits this.

[iKurt @ Dec 3rd 2008 4:19PM]

I wouldn't be surprised if the DVD they gave out contains a copy of OSX leopard

[Trial @ Dec 3rd 2008 4:45PM]

I would.

[cj @ Dec 3rd 2008 4:53PM]

I wouldn't be either cuz Microsoft would want you to compare how much better Windows 7 is comapred to OSX leopard.
O wait... nvm Vista already is better than OSX leopard so no point.

[MioTheGreat @ Dec 3rd 2008 4:56PM]

They'd only subject people they realllly don't like to something as horrible as that. Like if someone showed up with a GNU shirt on.

[Patriks7 @ Dec 3rd 2008 5:39PM]

Damn fanboys and anti-fanboys..
None OS is better than the other.. some have their advantages and some have their disadvantages..
Some people like that one over the other..
I switched to OS X last december because XP just didn't give me what I needed.. OS X is just much cleaner, more organized and easier to use for me.. might not be for everyone.. it's called taste you know..
Actually I will be trying out Ubuntu in the next couple days as I am going to build a small home server with Ubuntu..
I might get to like that more and leave OS X..
Once again, taste..

[Hackettman @ Dec 3rd 2008 4:26PM]

Woohoo! Im so reminiscent of the windows 2000, mE and then finally xp time..... Hopefully we wont have to have yet another over publicized new edition and 7 can fill the shoes of xp.......