Microsoft disappoints once again with Windows 7 beta download

Updated: Jan 9th, 2009 5:48 PM PST

Microsoft has been in the software game long enough to know that when you're announcing a release as big as an operating system to millions of techies, you release it when you say you will and you anticipate that the servers are going to get overloaded. Imagine Microsoft, the world leader in server technology, 24*7 server support, best in class knowledge of how to maintain servers with 0 downtime, etc etc, manage to have their servers down for over 6 hours now.

Wow! What kind of support can Microsoft give others when their servers have been down for hours? Is this what we are supposed to expect with the new Windows OS?

Updated: Jan 9th, 2009 4:42 PM PST (Windows 7 delayed)

Microsoft has delayed the public release of its Windows 7 beta download due to an overwhelming demand that its servers couldn't handle.

Windows 7 Beta Delay

The announcement was made late Friday afternoon in a posting at the official Windows 7 Blog.

"Due to very heavy traffic we're seeing as a result of interest in the Windows 7 Beta, we are adding some additional infrastructure support to the Microsoft.com properties before we post the public beta," the message explains.

The post does not give a definitive time for when the Windows 7 beta will be made available again.

"We want to ensure customers have the best possible experience when downloading the beta, and I'll be posting here again soon once the beta goes live," it says.

Overwhelming Demand

Reports as early as Friday morning indicated that Microsoft's servers were being crushed by the demand for Windows 7, even before the files were initially posted. Microsoft had planned to allow only the first 2.5 million users to download the operating system. The company has indicated it would like to have the software fully tested and ready for its final release by the end of the year.