Windows 7 will be converged

CES 2009: Ballmer quietly plugs new OS as Windows 7 beta goes live.

The shy and retiring, softly spoken Microsoft CEO Steve 'Sounds of Silence' Ballmer claims that when Windows 7 hits the shops it will allow the PC, phone and telly to chat like old friends.

Doing a keynote mime to the 2009 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, Ballmer said that Windows 7 will mean that users will be able to access their content on any device.

He said that this sort of thing was the kind of technology transformation that only happens once every 10 or 15 years.

Ballmer modestly said that MS was transforming Windows from a PC operating system to a connected platform and experience across the PC, the phone, the TV and the cloud.

Windows 7 has now gone publicly Beta, even though tt has been around for a few weeks now on various pirate sites after being leaked early.

However for those who came in late, the beta allows punters to move between running programs with a new preview window. You can also stick frequently used applications on to a redesigned taskbar.

Right clicking in the taskbar creates a 'Jumplist' of tasks associated with that application.

There is better access to photos, music and videos stored on all devices on a network and "Play to" allows users to easily stream any video, music and photos stored on the network to other devices such as the Xbox 360 and the TV.
Those who want a play with the new beta can download it from the Vole site tomorrow.

If you're at all curious about the beta, the official version can be downloaded here.