Update: MSN Tech & Gadgets section confirms that a public beta of IE 7 will not be out till beta 2.
Microsoft lead product manager Greg Sullivan said Microsoft is not planning for a downloadable version of IE 7 to be made publicly available until Beta 2. "We"ll really be ready to do broader end user testing around Beta 2," Sullivan said. The company has not said when that version will arrive.
Following on from the announcement back in February, Microsoft has chosen not to allow public download of Internet Explorer 7.0 Beta 1 for XP. A Microsoft spokesperson declined to comment if this would change as the beta progresses.
In the past Microsoft have offered public testing of applications like Windows Media Player at the final stages of the beta.
"Windows Vista Beta 1 and Internet Explorer 7 Beta 1 are available for support through the MSDN download center. Unsupported access for Windows Vista Beta 1 and Internet Explorer 7 Beta 1 are available to TechNet Subscribers," our contact told Neowin. "There will be no public access to Windows Vista Beta 1 or Internet Explorer Beta 1."