The very first site I saw on July 27 with a Windows Vista Beta 1 review was PC Magazine. They have a very comprehensive and optimistic review, plus a nice screenshot gallery with a slideshow mode.

The SuperSite for Windows had a slightly more pessimistic review, giving the beta 3 points out of 5 (which, I admit, is better than the 1-point rating he gave the last Longhorn release). Despite the review’s author’s rating, he did point out that the Beta 1 of “Whistler” (the codename for Windows XP) only hinted at the quality of the final release. He also said that Vista Beta 1 is actually farther ahead than Whistler Beta 1 was. And I quote, “Maybe this thing isn’t a train wreck after all.”