According to an article at ComputerWorld.com Microsoft is planning on giving away free copies of the first release candidate for Windows 7, the latest generation of operating systems to make its way out of Redmond.

While the general public has to wait a few days (May 5th) to snag this download, it’s already been made available to subscribers of Microsofts IT services such as MSDN and Tech Net. Unfortunately, in true Microsoft style, the download servers were unable to keep up with demand and many eager early adopters were left high and dry.

What does this mean for people wanting to grab a copy for themselves? Good luck! MSDN only accounts for a small number of the users wanting to grab a copy.  While we can hope that Microsoft will be beefing up their servers to account for the load in the coming days, there’s no guarantee that there will be enough bandwidth for everyone.

The RC1 give away copy is good till June 1, 2010, at which point you will have to pay for the privilege to continue using it… though it may take till then to download in the first place.

Update: Download available HERE