Some testers expecting an early Windows 7 Beta 1 present

[KSoD]

There's talk that Microsoft has signed off internally on the Beta 1 Windows 7 bits. Word is the build number of what goes out to testers will be 6.1.7000.0.081212-1400.

What do all those digits mean? And when will testers actually get their hands on the code?

Windows power users and long-time beta testers probably need no explanation, but the rest of us undoubtedly could stand some schooling. Here's how it works:
6 = Major NT OS version number (Windows 7, as the Softies have said, is built on the Windows Vista kernel, which they call NT Version 6)
1 = Minor version number
7000 = Major build number
0 = Minor build number (if needed; otherwise omitted on most builds)
081212-1400 = Build date stamp (08 = year, 12 = month, 12 = day, 1400= 2 p.m. using a 24-hour- format time stamp)

Once a release of Windows is released to manufacturing, the major build number is only changed when service packs are introduced. Example: VistaSP2/2008SP2 is build 6002. (The RTM build of Vista was No. 6000.16386.061101.2205, for those keeping track at home.)

So if Beta 1 really is 6.1.7000.0.081212-1400, it would mean it was built on December 12 at 2 p.m. (For the record, Microsoft officials still won't talk build numbers and won't say whether this is actually Beta 1 or if some later build will be officially christened Beta 1.)

Source: WinBeta | Mary Jo Foley's Blog

 

[eyeCpc]

The evaluation copy of SP2 for Vista on at the moments displays Build 6002 in the lower right corner of the desktop here. According to the blog seen at the second link the frist beta may be coming out sooner then reported in other articles seen pointing at 6/2009 being Q2 there.

 

[KSoD]

Yes Vista SP2 will give you the watermark of

Windows Vista (TM)
Evaluation Copy. Build 6002

That is because there is a update to the kernel code that called for a update to the build number. Just as Vista RTM was Build 6000 and Vista SP1 read as Build 6001.

The Beta will hit in January. This hints that some people might be getting the build sooner. Hopefully it will be those of us that got the Milestone 3 build. But the actual Beta starts in 2009 according to Microsoft's own email.

The Beta will hit in early 09. From what i have heard the Beta code has been approved. Which means the Beta build is ready for release. But i wouldnt think being 5 days out from XMas that Microsoft would start the beta and expect decent feedback at this point in time when everyone is busy.

 

[eyeCpc]

No I wouldn't expect they would see too many favorable reports until the testers have spent some amount of time working with it. It does suggest that Microsoft is trying to keep a tighter schedule with the next version over the long delays seen with the Long Horn project however.

They want to get back to their original time frame of 2-3yrs. for each new version of Windows you would think. The water mark is the exact same seen here with a magnification of a screen shot excusing the way the quality degrades a little.