Less than a day after Microsoft announced Windows Vista Beta 1, the first beta was already available on sites and discussion groups, together with Internet Explorer 7.0 Beta 1.

Microsoft announced that at first, these beta versions will only be available to testers and to MSDN subscribers, but Windows Vista Beta 1 can be already be downloaded, together with the activation crack, off the Internet.

The activation method employed by Windows Vista is similar to the one used by Windows XP and not even the large size of Windows Beta 1, 2.42 GB, doesn't seem to discourage those who are anxious to see what Microsoft has prepared for the new OS.

Windows Vista Beta 1 also includes Internet Explorer 7.0 Beta 1, which has to be downloaded through Windows Genuine Advantage. In Internet Explorer 7.0 Beta 1, Google's and Yahoo's toolbars no longer work, the default search engine being MSN Search.

The fact that Windows Vista Beta 1 is freely available on the Internet is not surprising, considering that in the initial testing stage, 10,000 testers were supposed to participate.

Microsoft hasn't commented yet on this incident.