It took a while, but Microsoft has finally announced the availability (this time for real) of Windows 7 beta, after a hectic (as expected) first day, when everyone tried to download it, and no one could.

 

The company posted a notification on its blog on Friday, saying the servers were overwhelmed and needed additional support. According to Microsoft, 2.5 million keys have been made available for the beta testers.

 

Windows 7 public beta was announced at this year’s Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. Although it may not be a stable operating system yet, it’s been the most talked about subject of the week, and the fight for the limited number of beta keys was fierce.

 

However, there’s no reason to despair if you were not among those 2.5 million lucky ones. Microsoft said other users will be able to get a feel of Windows 7 as well, during a 30-day free trial period.

 

The minimum recommended specifications for a computer to be able to run Windows 7 are 1 GHz 32-bit or 64-bit processor, 1 GB of system memory, 16 GB of available disk space, support for Direct X graphics with 128 MB memory (to enable the Aero theme), DVD-R/W Drive, and Internet access (to download the beta and get updates).

 

Microsoft warned that some features of the Windows 7, such as the ability to watch or record live TV, may require additional hardware. In addition to that, users will need a system recovery disk, know how to work their way around problems in beta, and not forget the beta expires on August 1.