Beta 1 of Windows 7 has been leaked to the Internet, and those who have used it report that some of the more intriguing features of the new operating system, including the new taskbar, are finally in place.

Note that I haven't actually gotten my hands on the beta yet; I'll be giving it a full review in the coming weeks. Instead, I've checked out reviews from numerous sites such as Paul Thurrot's.

Most of what appears to be new is under the hood, including some performance improvements. But some of the new interface improvements seem to be put in place, including the following:

New Taskbar

The taskbar at the bottom of the screen now functions somewhat like Mac OS X's Dock. Large application icons on the taskbar launch programs when clicked on. You can customize which application live there. In addition, when you run applications, they run in the taskbar as well.

So far, the new taskbar has drawn some fire, with some reviewers complaining that it confuses icons for launching applications with icons for applications that are currently running.

Jump List

Mouse over an application on the taskbar or Most Recently Used list on the Start Menu, and a context-sensitive menu appears specific to that application, such as opening a previously opened file in Microsoft Word.

Aero Peek

Hover your mouse on an area on the right side of the taskbar and you'll see a list of what is on your desktop, as well as previewing any open window.

Apart from these changes, it appears as if not much is new. But as soon as I get my hands on a copy, I'll report on details.

This past weekend, Windows 7 build 7000 leaked to torrent sites. It's not the first build of Windows 7 to leak, but it definitely is the most important one so far. You see, the first 7xxx build marks the entrance of Windows 7 into beta phase (6xxx builds were pre-beta builds). Microsoft planned to release this build to a select number of beta testers, as well as to MSDN and TechNet subscribers. Unfortunately for Microsoft, and fortunately for everyone who couldn't, but wanted to, get access to the beta, this led to a leaked build. The company pulled the release off of MSDN and TechNet, and also removed the "Windows 7 Beta" entry from the next quarterly update kit for those part of the Microsoft Action Pack Subscription (MAPS), which is slated to be sent out to subscribers on January 5, 2009. Thanks to Google's cache, you can see that Microsoft also referred to build 7000 as "Windows 7 Beta" on MSDN.


According to the license terms that you must accept to install build 7000, the EULAID of this release is "Win7_B.1_PRO_NRL_en-US." This further confirms that this build was meant to be Beta 1, which Microsoft is expected to release to its testers early next year (with a public beta following soon afterwards). If we were to take a page from Redmond's history book, the software giant will likely stick to its plan and give the same Beta 1 build (6.1.7000.0.081212-1400), which was compiled on December 12, 2008, at 2:00PM, to its testers, subscribers, and MDC attendees. It does not have to, and could instead give out a later build, and I would not put it past them (especially considering the compilation date).

In addition to noting that this is a pre-release version that will not be the same as the commercial version, Microsoft's EULA mentions a few interesting facts. For example, "You may install and use any number of copies of the software on your premises to design, develop and test your programs for use with the software" and "The term of this agreement will expire on August 1, 2009." Here's a section of the EULA that I think everyone who installed the build should read:

You may not

disclose the results of any benchmark tests of the software to any third party without Microsoft’s prior written approval;
work around any technical limitations in the software;
reverse engineer, decompile or disassemble the software, except and only to the extent that applicable law expressly permits, despite this limitation;
use components of the software to run applications not running on the software;
make more copies of the software than specified in this agreement or allowed by applicable law, despite this limitation;
publish the software for others to copy;
rent, lease or lend the software;
transfer the software or this agreement to any third party;
use the Potentially Unwanted Software definitions separately from the software; or
use the software for commercial software hosting services.
When installing build 7000, there are options for Home Basic, Home Premium, Business, and Ultimate, of which you can only choose Ultimate. My guess is these are leftover bits from Vista, because a) we already expect that Business is will be renamed to Professional and b) at one point you can click on "What to know before installing Windows 7" and you'll see an article detailing Windows Vista's installation, and not Windows 7's.

I'll be taking a closer look at Beta 1 (either build 7000 or a later one if Microsoft decides to change it) once I get access to it through official channels.

Pirated copies of a Windows 7 build pegged by many as the beta Microsoft Corp. will release next month have leaked to the Internet, according to searches at several BitTorrent sites today.
A search on the Pirate Bay BitTorrent site, for example, returned two Windows 7 Build 7000 listings, both of which had been posted Friday.

As of Saturday afternoon, one torrent on Pirate Bay showed more than 1,800 "seeders" -- the term for a computer that has a complete copy of the torrent file -- and about 8,500 "leechers," or computers that have downloaded only part of the complete torrent. The torrent is a disk image of the 32-bit version of Windows 7 Ultimate, Build 7000, according to users commenting on the site and elsewhere on the Internet.

Pirate Bay and other BitTorrent sites, including Mininova, listed the beta build as a 2.44GB download.

This is not the first time Windows 7 has escaped from Microsoft's limited testing pool. Just hours after the company unveiled an earlier version at its Professional Developers Conference in late October, the alpha edition hit BitTorrent.
Users first reported the newest Windows 7 leak on Neowin.net's forums Friday, with the opening message and screenshots coming from someone identified as "+fivestarVIP" , who said he was from Beijing, China.
Build 7000 is what Microsoft will issue next month as Windows 7 Beta, according to other reports by Windows bloggers who have copies. Paul Thurrott, for example, posted a review and screenshots of Build 7000 today on his "SuperSite for Windows" site, naming it as the Beta build.
Although Microsoft has promised to open the beta to all users in early 2009, it has been mum on an exact release date. Information published on its own Web site earlier this month, however, hinted that the beta will be available no later than Jan. 13 .
Some commentators and bloggers have maintained that Microsoft may release the beta as early as Jan. 7, after CEO Steve Ballmer delivers a keynote that evening at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, where he is expected to talk about Windows 7.
The successor to the perception- and problem-plagued Windows Vista will ship in late 2009 or early 2010, according to previous statements by Microsoft executives.

The Windows 7 is the next version of client’s operating system after Windows Vista.

No concrete base is there to ground such speculations but, in October, Microsoft promised to bring beta version by early 2009. With no confirmations, market watchers are speculating that Microsoft can bring beta version sometime in January and possibly the CES show in Las Vegas as a likely release date. CES is scheduled for Jan. 8-11.

The insiders report that significant announcements are coming from the beta testers indicating that Windows 7 beta can be expected any day.

The attendees will receive a Windows 7 beta DVD.


Microsoft expects to release Windows 7 in early 2010. But observers have the feel that it will be released earlier than the announced date as many business customers have skipped Vista and run XP until Windows 7 is available.

Attendees at next month's Consumer Electronics Show (CES) could get the first public look at Windows 7, the next version of Microsoft's client OS.

At its Professional Developers Conference in Los Angeles in October, Microsoft said it would release the beta early in 2009. Though nothing has been confirmed, signs are pointing to sometime in January and possibly the CES show in Las Vegas as a likely release date. CES is scheduled for Jan. 8-11.

A member of Microsoft's public relations team in the U.K. said in an e-mail that at the show, "Microsoft will be making some significant announcements including Windows 7." She did not specify exactly what the news around the OS would be. But several blogs, including All About Microsoft, have reported that beta testers are expecting a Windows 7 beta any day.

Furthermore, Microsoft wrote on a Web site for its Microsoft Developer Network Conferences (MDCs) that attendees of those conferences, some of which are scheduled for mid-January, can expect a Windows 7 beta DVD.

Some of the MDCs were this month and the site gave Microsoft an out if the beta wasn't released in December, saying that "the DVD will be shipped to attendees when it becomes available." A Windows 7 beta was not released at those conferences, and the next MDCs are scheduled for Jan. 13 in Chicago and Minneapolis.

Microsoft expects to release Windows 7 in early 2010, although some industry observers expect it may be out by the end of 2009 because of lackluster customer response to Windows Vista. Many business customers in particular have opted to skip Vista and run XP until Windows 7 is available.

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Nearly two years after introducing Vista, Microsoft (MSFT) is grappling with an unanticipated phenomenon: The latest version of its flagship Windows computer operating system remains a rarity in corporate settings. As a result, the software giant finds itself under acute pressure to stay on track with plans to replace Vista with the next version of Windows, code-named Windows 7, perhaps as soon as late 2009.

With the global economy stalling out — and with Apple Macs increasingly replacing Windows desktops and laptops in workplace settings — Microsoft can ill afford a repeat of the delays that beset the introduction of Vista. "They have to get Windows 7 right — and get it right the first time," says Laura DiDio, principal analyst at tech research firm ITIC

ITIC and Sunbelt Software surveyed 700 senior executives and found only 10% had deployed Vista in their organizations. Windows XP remained the primary desktop PC operating system for 88% of the respondents. Meanwhile, 77% reported some use of Macs, and 50% said they plan to permit wider use of Apple products, including the iPhone.

Monday, in a nod to those who don't want to switch to Vista now, Microsoft said it would continue letting smaller PC makers order XP through Jan. 31 for delivery through May.

FIND MORE STORIES IN: Microsoft | PCs | iPhone | Windows XP | Gartner | Windows Vista | Charles King | Apple Macintosh | Michael Silver | Laura DiDio | Sunbelt Software | Pund-IT
Even so, revenue from Microsoft's client division, which includes Vista, rose 13% to $16.9 billion in its 2008 fiscal year, ended June 30. Operating income rose 14% to $13.1 billion. That's partly because corporations paid Microsoft to access Vista but then chose not to use it.

Many tech managers remain wary of Vista's reputation for crashing programs. "Vista's main problem is lack of compatibility with other applications," says DiDio.

Shanen Boettcher, general manager of Windows product management, says Vista has been refined and now works well with most business applications. Today, "nearly nine of 10 people who actually run Windows Vista say they enjoy it and are favorable," he says.

Microsoft's big challenge: Get corporate buyers to embrace Windows 7. The economic slowdown won't make that any easier, says Charles King at tech research firm Pund-IT. "As money tightens and the recession deepens, both consumers and businesses will do everything they can to avoid purchases," says King.

Tech buyers who postpone replacing aging PCs risk cutting themselves off from newer software designed for Windows 7, says Michael Silver, Gartner tech industry analyst. "You could end up with too much Windows XP, too late in its life," he says.

"There is a very good probability of Windows 7 shipping early, in time for holiday sales in 2009," Silver says. "Strong sales of new PCs will allow Windows 7 to get off to a good start."