Windows 7 beta download delayed

Microsoft Corp. said it has paused offering downloads of the public test version of its new version of Windows due to "high demand".

The "beta" launch of the highly anticipated update to Microsoft's Windows franchise stopped downloads to add more servers.

"We are adding servers as fast as we can add them," said a Microsoft spokesman.

He declined to say when Windows 7 downloads would resume. Microsoft said it would let consumers test the next generation of its computer operating system starting on Friday.

Microsoft, the world's biggest maker of software, has said Windows 7 will incorporate touch screen technology and allow users to more easily personalise the system. It promised more user-friendly features, such as a new taskbar that previews all open windows from a single application by hovering over the programme's icon.