Should Microsoft make Vista 2 public?

There is a lot of buzz on the net right now over Windows Vista and it covers the spectrum (good, bad, and ugly). I wrote an article not to long ago about the Top 20 Worst features included in the most recent version of Vista, Beta 2. Now Microsoft has released Vista Beta 2 for the public's opinion of the latest revision to the ancient Microsoft operating system. If you're too scared to run the install for fear of a fatal error, more than enough video and screenshots of Vista are available on the Internet. The link to download Vista Public Beta 2 are:

• English [x86] [x64]
• German [x86] [x64]
• Japanese [x86] [x64]

Now don't get me wrong, I don't hate Microsoft or Vista but there is certainly a lot of room for improvement. I think that Microsoft has done a smart thing releasing Vista for trial to the public. It might backfire though if too many inexperienced users attempt to install the OS and fail. While technical problems can be solved by the small group of developers they pre-release Windows to, the larger problems such as interactivity, ease of use, and others are better suited for review by the very people who will be forced to use using Windows in the future.

Windows Vista Beta 2 is expected to be distributed to over 2 million users. High demand for the public download has ensued and Microsoft's server even as of today are still being pounded with requests for the Next Generation OS. But you might think twice about installing the newest release of Vista as one article from InformationWeek suggests. The article cites 5 things you should know before installing Beta 2 such as:

1. You better have a DVD burner
2. The install has a limited lifetime (it goes dead in 2007)
3. You're stuck with Vista (there is no turning back to an older installation)
4. You're stuck with Vista (you might not be able to upgrade to the full version when its finally released)
5. "Gotcha" is Microsoft's new mantra (there are many known problems that you may not know)

If you're having trouble getting the download directly from Redmond Virginia, you can try to use the torrent that many people have setup for it. The torrent should allow the file to be distributed more easily than a conventional download (this would have been a smart move for Microsoft). If you are interested, the torrent for Vista Public Beta 2 can be found here.

In my opinion its great to get the public's opinion about new software but it is very dangerous for Microsoft to make this publicly available since there are likely to be many cases of inexperienced users trying to install it and destroying their current computer in the process.

I should note to anyone interested in trying this out that they should us an alternative unused computer to install Vista on. You should be experienced in formatting drives, installing and troubleshooting drivers, and installing operating systems. If any of this sounds difficult you might be better off waiting for the public release, if it ever comes out.

In the mean time, there is likely going to be lots of new videos and pictures being posted on the Internet to keep any interested satisfied.