[M.Sudoku]

Microsoft sent to a select group of testers on December 16 invitations to participate in Windows 7 Beta 1. Beta 1 will be the first and only Windows 7 test build that Microsoft plans to make available to the public. Mary-Jo Foley asked Microsoft how long after the tech beta testers get their code will the company make Beta 1 available to the public. But Microsoft declined to comment on when a public release of Beta 1 would occur.

Until quite recently, Microsoft was planning to make Windows 7 Beta 1 available to the public just before Christmas.

Individuals who received the invites are considered “tech beta testers.” From the note Microsoft sent to the invitees:

Quote

While (the Windows 7) beta will not be available until early 2009 we, know you are excited to get started so we have opened the microsoft.beta.win7.lobby (on the Microsoft Connect site) so you may begin renewing acquaintances with previous participants as well as meeting new testing peers. After accepting the invitation, you will be able to sign into Microsoft Connect and click on the ‘Windows 7 Beta Program’ link for more information on accessing the newsgroups.
Read more..

[Syzygy]

Ooh gonna sign up now

[AMIRZ]

Wow!

[PUGALENTHI]

Is there any way to sign up through Windows Connect website....

[Laguna]

WOW! Nice!

[pm_41]

PUGALENTHI, on Dec 17 2008, 07:34 AM, said:

Is there any way to sign up through Windows Connect website....

Not yet, at least...

[Blake Pender]

The IT Momentum People should be invited as well (hopefully!)

This post has been edited by Blake Pender: 17 December 2008 - 11:25 PM

[henrydtv]

coolio

[Liskiller]

can't wait for the public beta release..

[kyosan]

wow ! Invite me, please

This post has been edited by kyosan: 18 December 2008 - 02:55 AM

[Secured Tim]

^ Only Microsoft sends invites to the testers.

[gon1387]

any idea on how can i qualify as beta tester?

[lareeth]

I believe to have had a chance of being invited you would have had to have participated in testing other major Microsoft software and submit a lot of feedback for that software in the past. For example, Windows Vista, Windows XP, Server 2008 Etc

Quoted from the email I received

Quote

The Microsoft Windows® beta team would like to extend an invitation to you to participate in the Microsoft
Windows 7 and Windows Server® 2008 R2 beta program planned for early 2009 as announced at the
Professional Developers Conference Oct 2008. Accepting this invitation will allow you to access pre-release
versions of the next version of Windows for the purpose of evaluating and providing feedback. We highly value
your past feedback and know we can count on you again to help us build a great new version of Windows!