Microsoft has a very mixed history of releasing Windows Operating Systems. Sometimes, they are brilliant (XP) and sometimes they suck big time (Vista). So will the new Windows 7 fare any better than its predecessor?

Windows 7 is still currently in development and a beta version has been available from BitTorrent sites since early December. But Microsoft is releasing an authorized for public consumption Windows 7 beta on January 9, 2009.

This video takes a sneak peek at what anyone planning to download the Windows 7 beta should expect, with a guy taking you through the different elements of the pre-release version of Windows 7.

If you are planning on obtaining a Windows 7 beta download then you’d better be quick. Microsoft is only releasing 2.5 million copies. And you’ll also need to have Vista SP1 installed on your PC otherwise it won’t work in the first place.