Steve Ballmer has announced the availability of the Windows 7 Beta at his CES keynote. Ballmer: “The beta version of Windows 7, Microsoft’s next-generation PC operating system, can be downloaded today by MSDN, TechBeta and TechNet customers. Consumers who want to test-drive the beta will be able to download it beginning January 9 at http://www.microsoft.com/windows7.”

Ballmer was even ready to say: “We are on track to deliver the best version of Windows ever. We’re putting in all the right ingredients — simplicity, reliability, and speed — and working hard to get it right, and to get it ready.”

So, tommorrow is the 9th of January. Happy downloading.

And if you give it a shot leave us a note about what you think.

Update:

Microsoft has decided to lift the 2.5 million download limit. After the Windows 7 Beta download went live it did not take very long to choke up the servers, this lift shoul help everyone interested grab a copy of Windows 7, for now.