Beta invites have started being sent out.

Abhimanyu said:

still invites are way better than torrents! :)
DiamondNRG will msdn b providing invites from 9 jan only?

It would be nice to get an invite, but, who knows. We can hope. The 9th? Only 17 sleeps.

nice way to put it norm.....
i believe everyone here is waiting for it...
next thing you know the whole server starts crashing down....lol
------and no im not jinxing it.......lol------------------------------
its happend before with other companies.....
just hope MS is ready for the flood of users wanting to have the OS everyone talks about.....lol

Hello Norm.

I don't know how accurate it is, but I've heard that it will be 7 January. That makes the most sense, as it is just after "patch Tuesday"; though some are saying it will be the following Tuesday, 13 January.














Later Ted

Just to add to the confusion

"In this context, the next iteration of Windows 7 will be available via a subscription-based software license for the company's registered member partners. The Microsoft Action Pack offers firms the possibility to subscribe to business software solutions from the Redmond giant, including the current and next versions of the Windows client. Along with Windows Vista SP1, Microsoft plans to offer to its Registered Members the first fully-fledged Beta of Windows 7.

“The Microsoft Action Pack Subscription is an annual subscription that provides Registered Members of the Microsoft Partner Program internal-use, full-version software (desktop operating system licenses are upgrade licenses) and sales resources to help you meet your sales goals, stay competitive, and grow your business. NOTE: This is an annual subscription (non-perpetual licenses), not perpetual licenses. This means that if/when your subscription expires, so does your right to use the software included in the subscription,” revealed Eric Ligman, Global Partner Experience Lead, Microsoft Worldwide Partner Group.

At the end of the past week, you were able to read it first right here on Softpedia that Microsoft was planning to offer Windows 7 Beta 1 for download via the January 2009 Quarterly Update Kit via Microsoft Action Pack Subscription. Because the January 2009 Quarterly Update Kit is scheduled to start shipping on January 5, 2008, Windows 7 Beta 1's availability for download was nothing short of imminent. However, since the news broke, Microsoft removed Windows 7 Beta 1 from the contents of the January 2009 Quarterly Update Kit.

“The licenses provided in a MAPS subscription are licensed for use at your Company’s primary business location only and must be used only for your Company’s internal business purposes, application development and testing,” Ligman added. “The licenses are NOT intended for employee personal use at home, for hosting customer’s applications, or for installation at a customer site, and may NOT be resold, transferred, or assigned to any third party. Also, only Registered Members of the Microsoft Partner Program whose primary function is to sell, service, support, or build solutions on the Microsoft platform, as well as to provide solutions based on Microsoft products and technologies to independent third-party customers qualify to subscribe to and use a Microsoft Action Pack Subscription.”

Subscription-Based Windows 7, via the Microsoft Action Pack - KezNews.com

Norm

"Looks like the rumor that Windows 7 Beta 1 will have build version of 7000 has some truth in it, or at least the build version 6.1.7000.0 of Windows 7 does exist. Microsoft has silently made available download of Windows 7 Beta 1 DVD ISO image to selected people, independent of the Windows 7 beta participation invite.


At least one of the DVD ISO image file has the file name of 7000.0.081212-1400_client_en-us_Ultimate-GB1CULFRE_EN_DVD.iso, with the size of 2618793984 bytes (2.44 GB) and MD5 hash checksum value of f9dce6ebd0a63930b44d8ae802b63825. It’s unclear if the testers are already given product key to activate Windows 7 beta builds"

Windows 7 Beta 1 6.1.7000.0 - 7000.0.081212-1400 Screenshot and ISO Details - KezNews.com

Without wishing to appear ignorant. What does this mean? Anybody?

Not

Norm

OK. There was a link to W7 Beta on the Microsoft Action Pack Subscription site, but it got pulled by Microsoft.

Hello Norm....:)..

Yes I actually saw it before it got pulled; I clicked it but it went nowhere....
















Later Ted

I have had that page bookmarked for a while but I notice the link Dave posted to this site was different to the one I had and it give a warning at the bottom.

Welcome to Windows 7
https://www.microsoft.com/windows/wi...7/default.aspx

Notice the difference (https)





So does anyone know why they are different?