The first beta of Windows 7 will be released before the end of the year.

This week, Microsoft began testing the new Windows 7 Milestone 3 (Build 6780). Deadlines are running out: on October 27, the PDC conference will take place, the participants of which need to distribute CDs with distributions (perhaps the issue will be postponed for a couple of weeks until the next Windows Hardware Engineering Conference). Most likely, right after this, a new version of Windows 7 will appear in torrents.

Now “M3” has been distributed among Microsoft employees and the company's closest partners, and also shown to selected journalists , however, having forbidden to take screenshots.

As in previous builds , Milestone 3 is very similar to Vista in design and functionality. The developers took the Ribbon interface from Office 2007, now it is in many applications (WordPad, Paint). Moreover, UI developers are tasked with updating the Windows system shell in the same style.
')
In the very near future, some applications of Windows 7, including Windows Mail and Windows Movie Maker, will be divided into separate distributions and will begin to be distributed through Windows Live.

The first beta of Windows 7 should be released in mid-December of this year. The final release will take place in 2009 or 2010.