Microsoft has unveiled the first beta of Windows 7, enabling users to test the improved user interface and other features of the forthcoming operating system for the first time.
Windows 7 Beta 1 is available immediately to subscribers of MSDN and TechNet, while everyone else will be able to download the software from the Windows 7 web site from 9 January. The ISO image file is approximately 2.7Gb in size.
This build of Windows 7 has all the features and user interface improvements showcased at the Professional Developer Conference in October, but which were missing from the preview version distributed at that time, according to Laurence Painell, Windows marketing manager for Microsoft UK.
Windows 7 Beta 1 includes touch-based interface support, enabling users with touch-enabled hardware to access their PC using fingertip control. The user interface enhancements such as support for Jump Lists – shortcuts to key functions in applications on the task bar – are also now present.
For business customers, Windows 7 Beta 1 now supports Direct Access, which enables mobile workers to securely connect to the corporate network without the need for a virtual private network, and BranchCache, which locally caches content from remote file or web servers. These features require infrastructure based on Windows Server 2008 R2, however.
Microsoft is advising business users to use Windows Vista as a stepping stone to Windows 7. Because it is expected to be compatible with virtually all Vista applications, apart from low-level tools such as anti-virus software, firms can begin compatibility testing ahead of availability to prepare for a migration to Windows 7.
Painell also said that Windows 7 Beta 1 is feature complete, but declined to indicate whether any further betas will be issued before the final release, expected before the end of 2009.
“I can’t comment on this, as it depends on tester feedback whether we need to do a second or third beta,” he said. However, he added that Microsoft expects to be adding updated components such as device drivers right up until the final release.
Security experts have urged users to be wary of pirated early versions of Microsoft’s forthcoming Windows 7 operating system because they may contain malware.
An early build of Windows 7, labelled ‘Windows 7 Ultimate Build 7000’, was leaked onto the Internet recently, and made widely available for download via several peer-to-peer networks.
Rob Rachwald, director of product marketing at security vendor Fortify, highlighted an increase in software infected with malware being posted on the internet, and warned that users should only download software from a trusted source.
“The whole idea is to exploit something popular, whether it’s getting users to download porn or popular software. It’s just a clever way to spread malware, ” he said.
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