Windows, Office betas hit the street
 

At WinHEC, Microsoft announced the availability of new betas of Windows Vista, Office 2007, and Longhorn Server. The Vista and Longhorn Server betas are restricted to MSDN and TechNet members, while the Office 2007 preview is open to the public.

Big changes in Vista Beta 2 include improvements to the User Account Control system, the Aero Glass user interface, and diagnostic tools, among other things. It's also integrated with the Windows Vista Upgrade Advisor, and offers hints on how to get the maximum performance out of a user's hardware.