Category: Technology Author : Duncan Riley Posted: January 10, 2009
Tags : microsoft, windows 7
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Microsoft: We Screwed Up Windows 7 Beta, So Unlimited Downloads for Two Weeks

windows72

If you haven’t grabbed your free beta copy of Windows 7 yet, there’s good news: you’ve now got 2 weeks to do so.

Microsoft made the offer Saturday evening after what started as a well received offer turned into a potential PR disaster for Microsoft as servers failed and many people were simply unable to get their hands on the promise download.

Microsoft’s Brandon LeBlanc writes on the Windows 7 blog:

Due to an enormous surge in demand, the download experience was not ideal so we listened and took the necessary steps to ensure a good experience. We have clearly heard that many of you want to check out the Windows 7 Beta and, as a result, we have decided remove the initial 2.5 million limit on the public beta for the next two weeks (thru January 24th). During that time you will have access to the beta even if the download number exceeds the 2.5 million unit limit.

While the move will be welcomed by many, I’ve got a better proposal: why doesn’t Microsoft give Windows 7 away for free, not just a time limited beta, but the end product. A free upgrade from the fail that was Vista might go along way in winning Microsoft fans and also counter some of the damage Vista has done. Better still: open source it. All these beta’s floating around are going to get their expiry dates cracked anyway, and tens of millions of people won’t be buying a copy now they’ve got a free copy, so why not go the next step.

Alex

I can't actually believe you're seriously suggesting Microsoft should make Windows free or open-source. Sure, let's drop quite possibly the world's largest and most sophisticated piece of computer software ever written into the hands of any old 12 year old with a compiler, and see what happens. Wake up ;-)

Adventurer

Well, obviously you have not searched the Internet since it's beginning.... many technologies today were started by kids... php for example. And, Sun Microsystems, a company much more technology advanced than Microsoft, offers their commercial SOLARIS 64 bit operating system totally free and a cutting-edge feature rich Open Solaris version. Open Source if driven by talent... and is the equivalent of the Darwin theory. Each of us sets our own standards for everything we except in life… this person is obviously not aware of, and has not been enlighten to the vast availability of simply outstanding Open Source applications… there is a lifetime of adventure today all from the real world and the Internet reality…. enjoy and open your mind to a good life. AS for Microsoft giving free WINDOWS…. I once was offered a free station wagon from a person who calls me a friend, but I rarely hear from…. I declined the car…. So… why would anyone want a broken, dysfunctional, annoying crashing desktop system… or even subject themselves to this and delaying life?

English Professor

Whoa!! dude learn how to spell and use the correct words. Your credibility is now on the floor.

Watchman of the Watchmen

I'm sure the lack of a capital d on "dude" was a typo...

grinman

*You're

Watchman of the Watchmen

Actually... No. :P

Anonymous

You realize you just corrected a grammar mistake that isn't there, right? English Professor used "your" correctly.

Eskimo

English is my third language. I never knew anybody who had problems choosing between "you're" and "your" until I met people whose native language is english.

Consumer of Seals

Pure genius.

barasawa

Especially when your first written language is a true phonetic alphabet with 40 letters. In such a case your and you're are spelled exactly the same because they are pronounced exactly the same. The only difference is determined by context, just like spoken English.

Raj Singh

Actually the difference between "your" and "you're" is not simply contextual. Ever heard of contractions? "You're" is a shortened contraction of "you" and "are" - and until this last generation of educators began allowing it in the United States, was *not* acceptable convention for formal writing. If you were going to write "you are" then you write "you are", not "you're".

On the flip side, "your" is a 2nd person possessive pronoun, not a contraction of 2nd person "to be".

Lincoln H.

Why is everyone trying to correct everyone? If you re-read barasawa's post, he was correct in saying that the only difference between "your" and "you're" is contextual--in a phonetic alphabet.

Grammar Rules

WTF does this have to do with the topic being discussed here? Keep your eye on the ball, or it will hit you in the face !

Victor

Same thing. Also the same with it's and its.

davidsjr

You are wrong. It is his credibility.

Markus Simms

Yeah, that's why SUN is almost bankrupt, and Microsoft is, ah, not.

Bob bob bob

true :D

anonymous

wow, you have no idea how open-source works. get fucked, buddy.

Faizan

You both should stop fighting and get a Mac. That way anonymous can continue hating open-source and adventurer doesn't have to deal with a "broken, dysfunctional, annoying crashing desktop system".

Problem solved. And don't say they're pricey. You can get a Mac desktop for peanuts.

Ae3 boomer

1. macs are Good For fags And Simple minded Cavemen, Who are just jealous of The Geico Insurance company,

2. Windows & linux is For The Brainy People You picked on in high school who sign Your Paycheck and buy your company cars.

3 windows is good, its not the best, but its better and more compatible then ANYTHING else that you or anyone else can put on any computer.

4. dude, do you read what you write? i mean seriously you sound like one of the old popes re-incarnated into a 13 year old wimp who thinks he is better than everyone else because he got his dad to spend $1200 - $2800 on a computer that seemed good at time of purchase only to reveal itself as the peice of crap it realy is

5. if you are gonna post, post about what other people are talking about, dont try to change the subject, because thats THE EXACT OPPOSITE of what posts do.

Bryan

And you just lost your credibility for being a complete idiot. Macs are for fags eh? How civilized.

anonymouse

but it's true

NV

Macs ARE for fags.

Hello guy

Indubitable.

LostInLag

1. Macs are good for anyone who wants one, to each his own, sheesh.
2. Windows for brainy people? Please. Linux, yeah, but Windows, no. Oh and by the way, Mac OS X is based on Unix.
3. I agree with your statement that Windows is good, but open sourcing it could make it better.
4. Have you ever owned a Mac to validate this statement?
5. Posting is for opinions, they are not dictated by just what is originally posted. In example, "I like cheese."

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Microsoft: We Screwed Up Windows 7 Beta, So Unlimited Downloads for Two Weeks

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