I assume you've all seen my Windows 7 Public Beta announcement. Here's what Microsoft announced today...
Windows 7 News
Today, Steve Ballmer announced the availability of Windows 7 Beta to MSDN and TechNet subscribers, with the broad public consumer beta coming on Friday, January 9. "The team is very proud of this release and believes it is the result of really listening to people, we hope you reach a similar conclusion."
Information on Downloading and Installing Windows 7 Beta (Windows Blog)
"On January 9th, the Windows 7 Beta will be available for Windows enthusiasts to download via the Windows 7 page on Windows.com. The Windows 7 Beta is going to be available download-only (we’re not sending out physical media) and available for a limited time to the first 2.5 million people who download the beta."
Windows Live News
"Today Microsoft announced the final availability of the latest version of Windows Live, a suite of personal communication services and applications for Windows, and two new Windows Live partnerships - one with Facebook and another with Dell."
Windows Live Essentials is ready to download
As Steve Ballmer just announced during his keynote speech at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas, Windows Live has three big pieces of news to share with you that underscore our continued commitment to simplifying your digital life.
Windows Server 2008 R2 Beta Download (tomorrow)
"Windows Server 2008 R2 will be the next version of the Windows Server operating system from Microsoft. Building on the features and capabilities of the current Windows Server 2008 release version, Windows Server 2008 R2 allows you to create solutions organization that are easier to plan, deploy, and manage than previous versions of Windows Server."
Windows Home Server news
"OEM partners Shuttle Computer and VIA Technologies will be announcing their entry into the home server market with new Windows Home Server products for consumers in the U.S. These news offerings, available for purchase in the first half of 2009, adds to the growing array of integrated hardware and software Windows Home Server solutions including HP’s new next-generation HP MediaSmart Servers and the growing ecosystem of 70+ software add-ins expanding upon Windows Home Server capabilities for consumers in the digital home."