Has demand for the new Windows been less than expected… as deadline extended?
If you’ve heard all about the free download of a beta version of Windows 7 but been unable to get your hands on a copy yet there’s still time to do so, after Microsoft announced an extension to the public trial at the weekend. The company said it was scrapping the 24 January deadline and keeping the Windows 7 download servers running until 10 February – more than two weeks longer than it originally planned.
Demand easing?
While the Redmond firm says the extension is due to unprecedented enthusiasm, some are wondering if it really means demand for the next version of Windows hasn’t been as great as expected. At the 10 January beta launch, Microsoft said it would offer 2.5 million copies to download; a target that, presumably, hasn’t been hit yet.
Enthusiasm abounds
Nevertheless, a company spokesman put a positive spin on the new deadline, saying: “Because enthusiasm continues to be so high for the Windows 7 Beta and we don’t want anyone to miss out, we will keep the beta downloads open.”
Anyone starting a download by the 10 February cut-off will actually have until 12 February to finish it, while MSDN professionals and TechNet subscribers won’t be affected at all.
You’ve got just over two weeks to download the Windows 7 beta from Microsoft, as Redmond starts winding-down the public testing process.
The Windows 7 team has blogged that you have until February 10 to start the process of downloading Windows 7. Testers who have started, but not completed, the download process on that date will have until February 12 to finish the process - a testament to the fact that Microsoft’s download infrastructure has struggled to keep up with demand.
Microsoft will continue to make Windows 7 beta product keys available after the February 12 date, it said. Also, veteran subscribers to MSDN and TechNet fear not: You’ll be able to download the Windows 7 beta after the February 12 cut-off the company said.
No matter who you are, though, the Windows 7 beta will cease to work on August 1, according to reports.
It’s been just over two weeks since Microsoft officially threw open the Windows 7 beta at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas, Nevada. Microsoft has said it’s ending general availability of the beta because of demand. “We are at the point where we have more than enough beta testers and feedback coming in to meet our engineering needs,” the company said.
It’s likely Microsoft received more feedback than it needed given Windows 7 is a less ambitious work than predecessor Windows Vista and was considered largely feature complete by Microsoft when released this month. This means that unlike with the Windows Vista, Windows 7 testing was a tire-kicking exercise rather than an acid test for major new capabilities.
Based on the Windows Vista code, Microsoft’s Windows 7 focus has been on tuning up performance and simplifying interface and navigation. ®