The Betas are Here!

May 26, 2006 @ 8:34 am · Filed under Windows, Microsoft, Free stuff, Office

The 23rd of May was a pretty busy day for the Redmond giant, since Microsoft launched the Beta 2 versions of both Windows Vista and Office 2007. I would have written this post earlier, but I really didn’t have the time to do so until now.

For right now, Windows Vista Beta 2 is only available to IT professionals and developers with MSDN and TechNet subscriptions. In the coming weeks, Microsoft will start the Windows Vista Customer Preview Program (CPP) for developers and IT professionals who are not members of the subscription services.

The Windows Vista CPP will also be available to technology enthusiasts that want to install and test a copy of Windows Vista Beta 2. You can get a head start on your Windows Vista CPP preparation by visiting the Get Ready section of the official Windows Vista site and downloading the Windows Vista Product Guide (60 MB Word doc - definitely worth reading!).

The Office 2007 Beta 2 is freely available however, if you want to try it out. If you want to keep in touch with the latest information on both Vista and Office, you can subscribe to the Beta Experience site, where you’ll also receive notifications and download information for both products.

You can also ensure that your current installations of Microsoft Office XP and Office 2003 are ready for the new Microsoft Office Open XML Formats by downloading the Compatibility Pack.