Neowin.net - Microsoft puts a cap on Vista beta downloads

Microsoft puts a cap on Vista beta downloads

Posted by oddcrap on 15 June 2006 - 11:56 · 20 comments & 10106 views

Microsoft has defended its decision to cut back on the amount of users who can download the beta version of Windows Vista. The software giant claimed that the pre-release versions of Vista are not appropriate for use by a broad, non-technical audience. "As such, we want to limit the availability of the code to a technical audience, while also keeping the program manageable from a logistical standpoint," said Microsoft spokesman Richard Saunders.

According to an official Microsoft blog post, the Windows Vista beta was originally restricted because of fears that the huge downloads could cripple the internet. However, the company now claims that the cap on the number of downloads is designed to help it manage the beta test. "Our goal, especially at this point in the development process, is to make the feedback process as efficient as possible, and we are confident that we will get a high level of quality feedback regardless of the cap," said Saunders.

News Source: VNU.net

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#1 Posted by rIaHc3 on 15 Jun 2006 - 11:58: So that means we cant download Vista anymore??

#2 Posted by cool_guy6_06 on 15 Jun 2006 - 12:16: not really just not as many people can download the beta

#3 Posted by hardgiant on 15 Jun 2006 - 12:27: Uncle Chang will provide for you.

(2 replies) #4 Posted by Soleen on 15 Jun 2006 - 13:30: Anyway I can't instaill it on my dell dimension 9100.
I have tried installing both 32 bit version and 64 bit version of Windows Vista Beta 2, I also have tried to redownloading the .ISOs but no success. This is what happens:

If I boot from those DVDs (both do the same 64 and 32), after first installation screen appears (with light blue background) my computer reboots
If I tries to install Vista 32 bit version from Windows XP, It copies the files, and during the extraction phase, it reboots the computer (I guess it supposed to reboot is at that point) But after that, during booting Windows Vista and reboots my computer exactly at the same point as described above when the light blue background appears. It goes in an infinite boot sequence :-( Any suggestions?
Hardware:
Vide card: ATI x600 256 megs
Memory: 1gb
Proc: Intel Pentium D 3Gz
Monitor: Dell 24"
Hard drives: two STAT harddrives one 40gb another 320GB, I have tried to install on both of them.

(3 replies) #5 Posted by Jugalator on 15 Jun 2006 - 14:36: "According to an official Microsoft blog post, the Windows Vista beta was originally restricted because of fears that the huge downloads could cripple the internet."

lol, this sounds so corny. Cripple the Internet? Good luck with that. Maybe, just maybe, cripple Microsoft's server farm or load balancing servers, but not even that happened when I browsed and downloaded from MS sites while Vista Beta 2 was still very "hot" (we do it almost daily at work, being Windows developers). I honestly don't get why they're fearing the Internet will fall down and die or somehow be critically harmed.

#6 Posted by AcuraNSX12 on 15 Jun 2006 - 14:42: This is actually a good thing; it will most certainly prevent people who do not really know about beta testing to try this software only to lose a large amount of data, productivity, and otherwise.

At least it's still on the torrents for the desperate.

(2 replies) #7 Posted by Foub on 15 Jun 2006 - 14:48: Bit Torrent anyone?

#8 Posted by coolvi on 15 Jun 2006 - 15:39: It could definitely cripple the Internet, but not taking it down.

The amount of successful direct downloads were ten times behind the release of keys, so I'm going to make a wild assumption that most downloads were actually completed through other media (P2P, etc). That would take up bandwidth from all over the places and has little to do with the server capabilities of Microsoft's own. Remember how people complain about Internet slowdowns because neighbours are running P2P programs? Now the important thing is that the entire Internet capacity isn't reserved for Vista. In other words, chances are it's already been loaded near maximum with other activities (P2P mostly), so it doesn't take much more for users to notice performance degradations.

However, I do agree that this excuse is pretty lame and probably most people don't understand how limited bandwidth is becoming, so it's only reasonable for MS to come up with this new one because we must admit that a beta software shouldn't have become the most downloaded in history. I mean, I've seen someone who's trying to install Vista 32-bit that can't even burn the image onto a DVD. That should not have happened with beta quality software.

#9 Posted by medafor on 15 Jun 2006 - 18:30: lol,microst basically said they dont want any noobs downloading it. they probaly are getting a ****load of calls of people who were stupid enough to upgrade the main os and not dual boot.

#10 Posted by Xavien on 15 Jun 2006 - 19:52: The Internet is a massively parallel network, there is virtually no way a single download can 'cripple' the network, it may 'cripple' a small subset of the internet (e.g the Microsofts Server farms and their link to the internet), but it will definately NOT cripple the entire internet.

This simply a press release designed at getting people more hyped for vista, nothing more, nothing less.

#11 Posted by Sekerob on 15 Jun 2006 - 20:28: Do you really think this dis-arrayed company can ever give a single response....what a garb, wanting to cap, i think more and more crashings are coming to surface and the excessive Ballmer exuberance is backfiring....safest OS ever....."in the Windows class" was forgotten to be added.

(1 reply) #12 Posted by trip21 on 15 Jun 2006 - 22:37: If you haven't got it don't worry it's a serious disappointment, few hours to install - several minutes to realise "This things one big f#ck'n t*rd"

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