Windows 7 SP1 beta goes public

Get your testing hat on

Microsoft has officially launched a public beta of Windows 7 SP1, giving interested users a chance to download the test software.

The service pack was leaked online in June, along with a beta of the Windows Server 2008 R2 which also went official today.

Microsoft claims the Server update is the sexier of the two. On its Windows blog,  Brandon LeBlanc  says the "new features in SP1 for Windows Server 2008 R2 benefit Windows 7 by providing a richer Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI) experience."

For Windows 7, on the other hand, he says, "SP1 is simply a combination of updates already available through Windows Update and additional hotfixes".

You can get at the software from Microsoft's Tech Centre.