Windows 7 Public Beta Serial Key Fiasco

Earlier today at CES 2009, Microsoft announced that they would release 2.5 million copies of Windows 7 for public beta (build 7000) which came out around 25th December, 2008 for all those lucky people who have MSDN subscriptions. The plan was to release the ISO around 12 CET and a page to release 2.5 million keys but here’s what happened.

12 CET - Nothing’s up on TechNet :( 12.30 CET - A statement stating the site is ill equipped for the load and things are being “set up”.. sure I’d buy that :P 13.30 CET - Start download from direct download links.. not ETA on the keys 13.45 CET - Download links killed. If you have the beta, good for you. If you don’t.. well.. :P

I guess I’ll have to wait for the official serial. I guess I can run the 30 day beta till then and keep _rearm_ing the beta (if any of you tested the Windows Vista beta or used the Windows Vista RTM early, you’d remember that :P). Either way I can’t install the beta until I get my new 1 TB HDD (should take a couple of days) due to lack of space :(

• JA has to wait a bit longer before getting a chance to test Windows 7 :(

Thanks for ruining my sleep for tonight by making me wait for a key for nothing :(

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