Windows 7 Beta; Everything You Need to Get Started

By now, I’m sure most of you have heard all the buzz about Windows 7 Beta now being available to us all. Windows is offering up free downloads of Windows 7 Beta until January 24th. This is our chance to download the Beta operating system and give it a whirl. It’s important to note that though we’ll download it for free now, the Beta is set to expire on August 1st.

Since there are so many articles and information scattered on the net, I wanted to categorize and share the best articles to help simplify your Windows 7 Beta curiosity. If you’re looking to get your feet wet with Windows 7 Beta, the resources below are sure to help you.

Download
Download Windows 7 Beta - Microsoft
Best Way to Download Windows 7 Beta – Windows 7 News

Activation Code
Windows 7 Activation Codes – Lifehacker
How to Get Your Windows 7 Beta Key – Lifehacker

How to Install
How to Get, Install and Play with Windows 7 Pain Free – Gizmodo
Windows 7 Beta Install Instructions – Microsoft
How-to: Burn your Windows 7 .ISO to DVD – ZDNet

Alternative Installs
How to Dual Boot Windows 7 with XP or Vista – Lifehacker
Windows 7 Gets Installed on MacBook Pro Explained – Engadget
Windows 7 Beta Now Available to Everyone – Gizmodo
Windows 7 x64 Build 7000 on a Macbook Pro – Coffeestops!

Tips and Tricks
The Bumper List of Windows 7 Secrets - Tim Sneath
10 Cool Windows 7 Tips, Tweaks and Secrets – TechRadar
The Best New Windows 7 Keyboard Shortcuts - Lifehacker

Themes, Wallpaper, Etc
Windows 7 Beta’s Many Free and Legit Themes – Lifehacker
Windows 7 Themes – iThinkDiff
Windows 7 Wallpapers - Windows 7 News
Windows 7 Videos – Windows 7 News

Windows 7 News Sites
Windows 7 News
Windows Team Blog
Windows 7 Home Page

Reviews and Impressions
First Look at Windows 7′s User Interface – Ars Technica
Top 10 Things to Look Forward to with Windows 7 - Lifehacker
Deep Inside the Windows 7 Public Beta: An in-depth Tour – Ars Technica
What You Should Expect From the Windows 7 Beta – The How-To Geek
If You Love Windows XP, You’ll Hate Windows 7 – ZDNet
Windows 7 Beta 1 Performance – How Does the OS Compare to XP and Vista – ZDNet
Windows 7 Walkthrough, Boot Video and Impressions – Gizmodo
Windows 7 Beta First Impressions - Chron
The PC World Challenge: 72 Hours of Windows 7 – Washington Post

If you choose to give Windows 7 Beta a try, please be sure to back up your system prior to the install. Whether it’s Windows or not, it’s important to realize that it is still in Beta.

Have any of you downloaded Windows 7. Time permitted, I’ll be using these resources to install it this coming weekend. We have until January 24th to decide. If you have tried it out, I’d love to hear your thoughts, opinions, comparisons to other operating systems, etc.