A link inviting people to "Download the Windows 7 Beta" has surfaced without fanfare on Microsoft's Windows 7 site. As of 9 a.m. Pacific time, the link wasn't working, but its appearance is making people wonder if Microsoft's Windows team isn't about to drop a pre-Christmas surprise. Officially, at least, the Windows 7 Beta wasn't expected until after the first of the year.

Tom Warren of Neowin spotted the link and pointed, for more evidence, to a WinFuture post reporting that the beta would be released to partners today. Ed Bott is skeptical, saying he still expects the beta to debut early next year, He predicts that the mysterious download link will instead go to a page with details about preparing and possibly signing up for the beta.

In the bigger scheme of things, the timing of the beta matters because of the ripple effect on the final release. An early beta would provide more evidence that Microsoft is aiming to issue the final version in advance of the 2009 holidays. And the more time people spend testing the product in beta, the better the prospects for a smooth launch that could help the company put the problems of Windows Vista behind it.

I've asked Microsoft for comment, and I'll update this post depending on the response.

Update, 3:30 p.m.: Microsoft's statement on the situation: "As we said at PDC, we expect to deliver beta in early 2009 and we continue to be on track to deliver against that development milestone. We’ll be in touch when we have more details to share."