Microsoft, from Friday (9/Jan/2009), is going to offer download of Windows 7 Beta. Yes, you read that right. The download will be official & legal from Microsoft. Microsoft announced it on Windows Blog. The download is available only for a limited time & is available only for first 2.5 million downloads.

The beta will be available for both x86 & x64 (32 bit & 64 bit) architectures in an ISO file which you’ll need to burn on a DVD. The download is available in five languages- English, German, Hindi, Japanese & Arabic. From these Hindi language ISO will only be available in x86 architecture. The Windows 7 Beta trial will expire on August 2009, which is a very long duration.

The beta can be downloaded from Windows 7 page from Microsoft’s website on 9/Jan/2009, Pacific Time.

On January 9th, the Windows 7 Beta will be available for Windows enthusiasts to download via the Windows 7 page on Windows.com. The Windows 7 Beta is going to be available download-only (we’re not sending out physical media) and available for a limited time to the first 2.5 million people who download the beta.

The Windows 7 Beta will be available in English, German, Japanese, Arabic, and Hindi, and each language will be available in 32-bit and 64-bit versions (except Hindi which will only be available in 32-bit). Because the Windows 7 Beta will be offered download-only, it will be provided to you as an ISO image (an .iso file) that you download. After downloading either the 32-bit or 64-bit ISO image of the Windows 7 Beta, you will be required to burn the ISO image to a DVD to install Windows 7. So you want to be sure you have a DVD burner before spending the time downloading the ISO image.

- Windows 7 Team Blog