Windows 7 Beta Now Available

Those who wish to check out Windows 7, Microsoft's upcoming successor to Windows Vista, can now do so. The software giant on Friday posted the 32-bit and 64-bit beta versions of the OS. Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer announced the beta earlier this week during his keynote address at the annual International Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas.

The beta represents a work-in-progress, and the release of the final version hasn't been announced yet, though it is expected within a year. Windows 7 seeks to address many of the issues that consumers had with Windows Vista. Improvements have reportedly been made to speed and performance, particularly on machines with 512MB of RAM. Microsoft has also addressed the universally despised User Account Control system that annoyed users to no end.

The 64-bit version can be downloaded here, while the 32-bit version can be found found here. Both versions are ISO files, which means they must be burned to a DVD before you use can use them. The beta expires 30 days after installation unless you provide a software key from Microsoft.

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