Minimum System Requirements for Windows 7 and Official Download

Microsoft detailed the minimum system requirements for Windows 7. According to PC World, the requirements are: 

1GHz processor (32- or 64-bit)
1GB of main memory
16GB of available disk space
Support for DX9 graphics with 128MB of memory (for the Aero interface)
A DVD-R/W drive
Those requirements are basically identical to the system requirements for Vista, which—considering the nearly three-year span between Vista and Windows 7—should make Windows 7 a much more viable upgrade to those of use who don't want to buy a new PC just to upgrade their OS.

We revealed that Microsoft would be posting a public beta of Windows 7 earlier this week and Microsoft has just made it available on it's TechNet channels.

Entitled Windows 7 beta customer preview program, the company has posted the beta bits to the Microsoft TechNet pages. Be warned it's rather slow at the moment.

According to Microsoft there are 2.5 million keys to go around worldwide so plenty in other words. Microsoft is also providing a QFE patch for the MP3 corruption issues that have plagued build 7000, this should be online shortly as KB961367. It's extremely important you apply this patch as you may lose parts of your MP3s if the patch is not applied.

It's fully confirmed that the beta 1 build is 7000 that leaked shortly after Christmas. Our members have been discussing the Windows 7 availability for the past week in one of our more popular forum threads. According to sources close to Microsoft, the company is significantly further on from build 7000, having posted 7016 internally recently. It's understood that the development has branched from 7003 onwards ready for the RC/RTM stages.

Official download page (registration required):
Windows 7 Beta 1 - 32-bit (x86) and 64-bit (x64)

Direct download links:
Windows 7 Beta 1 Build 7000 x32
Windows 7 Beta 1 Build 7000 x64

Mirror links:
Windows 7 Beta 1 Build 7000 x32
Windows 7 Beta 1 Build 7000 x64

How-To receive a valid Windows 7 beta key

Because of the overloaded Microsoft servers it can be hard to get a valid key. To get a valid key the fastest just follow these simple step. Thanks to scaramonga.

Step 1 : Logon to http://technet.microsoft.com (click on Sign in in the upper right corner with your Microsoft Passport ID ie: Hotmail etc.)

Step 2 : Copy (Don’t CLICK IT!) one of the links below to the address bar and press enter :

32-Bit key :

Code: Select all
https://www.microsoft.com/betaexperience/scripts/gcs.aspx?Product=tn-win7-32-ww&LCID=1033

(Copy and Paste!)

64-bit key :

Code: Select all
https://www.microsoft.com/betaexperience/scripts/gcs.aspx?Product=tn-win7-64-ww&LCID=1033

(Copy and Paste!)

Tip : You can use the 64-bit during a 32-bit installation and a 32-bit key during a 64-bit installation (it seems that getting a 64-bit key is faster!)

Step 3 : If you receive an error, just press CTRL & F5 (non cache load) to refresh (I had to refresh more than 10 times before I received the key), if you’re being redirected then you didn’t follow the steps 1 and 2 correctly!

If you followed the steps correct you should see your key (depending on your version it could also say Windows 7 Beta 32-bit Product Key :)

Enjoy!