There is, without a doubt, a consistent volume of anticipation related to the upcoming beta for Windows 7. Even with Microsoft continuing to be as translucent as possible, signs of the Windows 7 Beta 1 abound, especially with the company's own participation. In this regard, at the end of the past week, Microsoft managed to post a “Download the Windows 7 Beta” link on the official website for the next iteration of the Windows client. It has since then been removed completely, and the software giant claims that it was nothing more than anomaly. Still, explications have not been delivered through the official channels.

The Redmond company continues to stick to the already announced Windows 7 Beta 1 delivery timetable, according to which the bits for the next development milestone of the operating system will be offered only at the start of 2009. However, Microsoft is reported to have signed-off the Beta 1 code for Windows 7 as early as December 12, 2008. It has failed to comment on additional speculation that it has also released Windows 7 Beta 1 to a select pool of testers, making its way toward the Windows 7 Beta public release.

Leaked information reveals that Build 6.1.7000.0.081212-1400 is the label that identifies the Beta 1 release of Windows 7. At the same time, Scott Wylie, Microsoft's New Zealand director of development and platform strategy, has delivered proof that the company moved past the Build 7000 milestones, by offering a screenshot with Windows 7 build 7004.

Nevertheless, no matter the actual Build number of Win7 Beta 1, fact is that the  appearance and disappearance of the download link (via Neowin) from the website points out that Microsoft is gearing up for the first beta for Windows 7.

“What's coming in the Windows 7 beta,” Microsoft asks on the platform's website. “Great ideas are often simple and clear. Here's ours: We're making Windows 7 for you. This means we're: tailoring it for laptops; making it work the way you do; designing it for web services; building it for entertainment; engineering it to be easy to own and manage; and that's only the beginning.”