Just What Exactly Is a “Beta?”

Just What Exactly Is a “Beta?”

The newspapers and blogosphere have been abuzz for months now with news of the Windows 7 Beta. Everybody, from home PC users to IT industry professionals, has read about or even had the chance to take the Windows 7 Beta for a test drive.
But what exactly is a beta? And what does “beta version” mean as far as we, the end users, are concerned?
To answer these questions, we have to consider the entirety of a computer program’s life cycle—all the way from the drawing board to store shelves.

Pre-alpha

Any computer program starts as an idea. Developers see the need for a program and push their ideas forward. They develop specific features to see how they work in action. At this stage in a program’s life, it is in the pre-alpha stage. Consumers won’t have the opportunity to see it in action for months to come.

Alpha

Software graduates from pre-alpha to alpha proper when a computer program has a concrete set of features and is ready for internal testing and evaluation by software engineers. Alpha phase software is typically unavailable to end users in the alpha phase. Testing, modifying, and evaluation happen behind closed doors in the labs of software engineers in alpha phase.

Beta

When software graduates from the alpha phase, it is ready for more rigorous and focused testing. “Beta” is a term used in software development for the pre-release testing phase of a program’s life cycle. Software companies recruit members of the public to use their product and find bugs, test usability, detect crashes, and evaluate how well the software performs in the real world.

Why would an end user want to use an unfinished, choppy version of a product? Software companies offer various incentives for beta testers. Beta testers have early access to products, and don’t pay for them. Generally, beta testers are not compensated in terms of wages, but the prestige or utility of early access to software is often compensation enough.

Generally, a beta version of a program will go through various incarnations that include updated features and code. Such versions are referred to as beta 1, beta 2, beta 3, etc.

You’ve probably heard of various betas being available as either open or closed betas. Open betas are available to the public at large. The Windows 7 Beta was an open beta because anybody with the desire was free to download it and try it out. Other betas are only available to a handpicked group of end users. Such betas are referred to as closed betas. Many companies opt for closed betas with games or otherwise highly desirable programs.

Going Gold

After thorough beta testing, a program is generally ready for mass distribution. When a product is shipped to store shelves and is available for purchase, it has gone gold.

Why Use a Beta?

There are numerous advantages to being involved in beta testing. If you’re prepared to deal with an occasional crash and a limited feature set, beta testing can be a great way to see if you’d be interested in making a full purchase of a program when it goes gold. New software can be a substantial investment. Being involved in the pre-release testing of software enables you to make an informed purchase later on. And let’s be honest, the prestige factor of knowing what you’re talking about before anyone else does has much to recommend giving the beta version of a product a whirl.