Although the Microsoft severs were bombarded over the weekend, we finally managed to get hold of the new Windows 7 beta 1. Good news is that Microsoft have announced that the download will be extended beyond the initial 2.5 million downloads limit, so you'll still have time to grab the beta if you want to preview the new operating system.

We installed it on VMware Fusion on our old MacBook Pro. The first impression was that it was a seamless trouble-free install that seemed to require little interaction. The other impression was the speed. Yes, Vista is usable under virtualisation, but it's not idea. Windows XP is better. However, we were quite suprised how quick and usable Windows 7 was under virtualisation. Remember that this is an unoptimised beta, too.

Although Windows 7 is a migration from the current Vista, like OS X there isn't a need to re-work the kernal. This enables Apple and Microsoft to concentrate on making their curent operating system work more quickly. Windows 7 certainly boots far quickly than Vista, for example.

New features are important and the latest Windows 7 enables you to quickly preview the local WiFi networks, their signal strength and switch between them if necessary. There's also a backup tool that will enable you to backup your drive, restore and even create a bootable recovery disc where required. These are just two of the many new features you'll find in Windows 7. We don't suggest you install this on a production machine just yet - there are some incompatibilities with existing Vista-compatible third-party software, for example.

Don't forget to download:

Windows 7 Beta (x86) : 7000.0.081212-1400_client_en-us_Ultimate-GB1CULXFRE_EN_DVD.ISO

Windows 7 Beta (x64) : 7000.0.081212-1400_client_en-us_Ultimate-GB1CULXFRE_EN_DVD.ISO

12 Jan 2009