Free Windows Vista Beta Now Available
As one OS fades away (see #1, above) another emerges: Reader Gene Lynch was first to send in email about the new Vista beta available for public download. (Thanks, Gene, and everyone else who wrote in!)
It's a *huge* ISO download--- 3.5GB--- so you need a *lot* of temporary disk space, and a DVD burner to burn the ISO files to.
If you prefer, you can pay $10 shipping and handling and Microsoft will send you a DVD instead. (In the past this kind of offer has been open only to US residents, or to US/Canada residents. Similar restrictions may be in effect here.)
What you get is Beta 2, a late beta, The software's not finished yet, but it's getting close, and the broad beta 2 test will help Microsoft uncover the many real-world glitches that no doubt still remain.
Usually, by the time software reaches late beta, few major changes are anticipated; usually, only "show stoppers"--- major flaws that might affect large numbers of users--- get fixed from here on out. Other, lesser flaws are usually noted for a fix in a later service pack. On the other hand, it *is* a beta, and Microsoft can make whatever changes it wants, large or small.
If you have a pressing need to prepare yourself for Vista, or if you're very curious about it, it might be worthwhile playing with the beta. But you absolutely, positively must not trust the beta for serious, for-real work. It's for test-driving; that's all. The safest way to test it is on a separate machine that contains no sensitive files; or perhaps in a safely-walled-off virtual PC. Don't just install it on your main PC; not even as a dual boot. Beta operating systems should not and cannot be trusted.
OS betas are usually time-limited, and will expire after a set timeframe, after which the for-real, finished software should be available. You usually can't grab a beta and use it forever. And to tell the truth, you probably wouldn't want to: It's beta for a reason!
All the gory details are here:
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsvista/getready/preview.mspx
The servers have been very slow; and you may get all the way through the sign in process only to find you get bumped out due to high demand. Then, you have to start over; but you're only given two shots at completing the download before your email address is locked out. This is to prevent people from hogging too many downloads for themselves; but has the nasty side effect of locking out valid users who get bumped off the queue due to server overload.
Please also note that the beta OS comes with no tech support, and no recourse if it rears up and devours your hard drive. You're on your own.
Now go ahead and download it--- I know you want to! <g>
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