Windows 7 Public Beta Released

Update: Howdy Digg readers, if you're interested in the goings on at CES this year, make sure to check out Maximum PC's coverage of the trade show, as well as our liveblog of last night's keynote.

Here's some breaking news: At the Microsoft CES Keynote, Steve Ballmer has just announced the launch of the Windows 7 Public beta. Customers of Technet and MSDN can get the beta right away (if you hadn't already been tempted by the various leaks) while the rest of us will have to wait until 2 days from now to snag the trial OS. The beta will be available on the 9th at the Windows 7 site.

 In his keynote address, Ballmer stressed that Windows 7 will provide faster performance, longer battery life, faster boot times, and a less obnoxious security alert system. Early reports from people who have tried the beta seem to back these claims up, and we're very excited to see how the public will react to this beta.

 More as it happens.