Windows 7 beta available for download

Microsoft Corp. made the Windows 7 operating system (beta) available for public download.

On its Windows 7 site, the company posted a note saying, “The Windows 7 Beta is now available for download.” The Windows 7 site lists a link to beta download page.

At the keynote at the International CES in Las Vegas, Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer said Friday would be the date for beta rollout.

Microsoft says the version of Windows 7 available now is “feature complete,” which means that the functionality of the operating system will not change much, if at all.

The minimum system requirements Microsoft suggests for beta testers include a -
1-GHz processor
1GB of main memory
16GB of available disk space and
support for DX9 graphics.

The suggested setup is close to what is recommended for Vista, even though the new operating system is appearing several years after its predecessor.