Windows 7, Server 2008 R2 Betas

The next versions of Microsoft’s client and server OSs were released for public beta at the Consumer Electronics Show in Jan. 2009. Microsoft is developing Windows 7 (the client OS) and Windows Server 2008 R2 (the server OS) simultaneously and neither will likely change substantially between now and release in late 2009 or early 2010. Attendees of the Professional Developers Conference in Oct. 2008 were given preview copies, but Microsoft has now expanded the Windows betas so that more customers can test the new versions and report any problems to the company.

Overview and Requirements

A summary of the features in the new OSs, as well as suggested hardware requirements for testing the betas, is as follows:

Windows 7. Changes and improvements to Windows 7 focus on making typical tasks such as finding files and applications faster and easier, reducing start-up or boot time, increasing battery life, and presenting fewer alerts and messages to users. Most applications and hardware that work with Vista will be compatible with Windows 7, and it will support new hardware, such as touch-enabled displays.