Windows 7 Beta 1 Coming in December (Probably)

While we’re going to get the first glimpse of the geek bits under Windows 7’s multitouchable hood in October, it looks like we won’t get hands on with the first beta until December. Some select special people already have super early builds, but Microsoft queen bee Mary Jo Foley says that Beta 1 won’t see the light of snowy day until at least the week before Christmas, according to people in the know.

On the upside, it looks like the hold-up is to deliver a mostly feature complete beta, so we’ll have a pretty good idea of what Windows 7 will taste like. Especially if that means they’re planning on delivering the final in late 2009, as Bill mentioned at All Things D, since that’s not an especially long beta period. Hopefully they’ll still make that 15-second boot time. [ZD Net]