On July 27, Microsoft handed Vista beta 1 to a select group of about 500,000 developers and IT administrators, as well roughly 10,000 developers who are part of Microsoft’s TechNet and MSDN programs.
Now that Vista beta 1, which includes IE 7, are available for download by anyone with BitTorrent software, a far greater number of developers and Windows enthusiasts are likely to test the code.
And since these unauthorized have not signed any non-disclosure agreements with the company, critiques about the software likely would become available in the near future.
Also, late last week, numerous web sites, including boingboing.net, posted details on new ways to bypass Microsoft’s recently released Windows Genuine Advantage.
Ironically, the Microsoft program is intended to stem pirated Windows copies by requiring users to verify their OS is legitimate before being able to download Windows XP add-ons.
A greater number of official Vista testers are expected to be involved in subsequent beta releases, the first of which is slated for early 2006.
Leaked beta OS code is nothing new for Microsoft. Alpha builds of Vista were previously leaked from the company. And pirated beta versions of Windows XP also were widely available on the web.
