Microsoft Stretches Out Windows 7 Download Availability

So I have some good news and some bad news.

The bad news first – that way the good news can help ease the pain.  To all two people who posted a guess on this blog entry about how quick the 2.5 million downloads of Windows 7 would take to disappear – sorry contest is forfeited due to the good news I am about to share.

OK – on to the good news – the always snazzy Brandon LeBlanc has just posted this little tidbit on the Windows Team Blog:

• 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.

I have got to give Microsoft credit on this.  They took a good, and well deserved flogging over the fact that they were not ready for the demand Windows 7 created yesterday at the public release.  SO what do they do – they get things fixed which ate about a little less than a day and after opening the pipelines back up for everyone to download the beta – they come along and make it available for two weeks – instead of limiting downloads to 2.5 million.

I do imagine though that in those buildings around the Microsoft Campus they are quietly excited about the buzz – more like a chainsaw buzzing – around Windows 7.

So what are you waiting for – go get your copy!

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Richard Hay  (3359 Posts)

Richard is the Owner of WindowsObserver.com and has been involved in tech for over 25 years. His first website – AnotherWin95.com – came online in 1995. Back then he used GeoCities Web Hosting for it and what you see here today is the result of the work he has continued on the site since 1995. In January 2010 his community contributions were recognized by Microsoft when he was awarded the Most Valuable Professional (MVP) Award for Windows Desktop Experience. In January 2011 he was renewed as a Microsoft MVP but in a new category called Windows Expert - Consumer and in January 2012 he received the award for the third time.