Google Chrome OS unveiled, released to open source community

Beta

Beta is a term applied to software used to describe the stage of testing, typically when a piece of software is released outside the development community to a select (private) or open (public beta) number of initial users. Often following an earlier alpha version, the beta version is "real-world" tested by independent "beta testers" who are usually a select group of users with no specific experience or knowledge about this software's development, using the software as it will be used upon its commercial release.

The term originated in an IBM hardware product test convention, in its testing of punched card tabulating and sorting machines. The term can refer to software and hardware alike. Video game designers have implemented the beta both as a means by which they can gain insight into possible bugs and problems within the software before a full commercial release and also as a marketing technique, occasionally bundling a beta version of an upcoming game with another game, such that the perspective beta testers must purchase one game to gain access to the beta of another. Though more stages of testing can be implemented, usually the next stage in the software release life cycle is the full release candidate.

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