Hi Howie,
A beta of a product, be it software or hardware, is pre-production. It's
liable to have missing or broken pieces, and is more likely to be not
complete especially at early stages. Beta's shouldn't be run on production
machines, as there is a no guarantee of success when you install or run it.
There is no promise of support in a beta, and your mileage may vary
depending on the program. This beta pretty well advises that you are on your
own. In future releases of this beta, there may be pieces added and the
design or contents could change remarkably.
Beta testers often refer to themselves as 'software crash dummies', and I
are one.
Ron Chamberlin
MS-MVP