The official Windows 7 Beta has started. Friday was a bit frustrating as the response overwhelmed Microsoft, but I was able to get a Windows 7 Beta key, as well as download the real ISO. Upon installing it, I had some mixed reactions to the new task bar. Maybe it will grow on me. I’m also sad to see that the icons for shut down, disconnect (when in terminal services) are once again changed, now to text. I rather like the Vista buttons. My only request would be the ability to turn the shutdown button into a “log off” button (for servers, anyway).
Asside from that, a few rough edges need to be worked out obviously. A patch is already on Windows update (which I also could not get to run, likely due to the initial rush) that fixes an issue where Windows 7 would corrupt MP3’s, removing a few seconds from the start of the song each time the song is accessed. Whoops.
I was half tempted to install Windows 7 on my HTPC at home, however, with bugs like that I think I’ll pass for the time being and just figure out how to get the guide data for the Clear QAM expanded basic channels.