ET Our Answer Desk tip Software development can be an arduous process, as it involves a lot of testing and re-testing of products.
Beta software refers to a version of the product that is still undergoing such testing.
Before a software company makes a product available for retail, it often will release the product to select users who will test the product for bugs and make sure it's not missing any key capabilities. The company will then use the feedback to make the finishing touches on the software release. Occasionally, software companies will make beta software available to the general public. Both Microsoft and Netscape are known to post beta releases of their browsers on the Internet for anyone to download. Since beta software is still undergoing the testing process, it's often not very stable and there's a chance that it could affect your computer, for example, causing it to crash.