OK, now that Windows 7 is out on MSDN, do I really have to waste a DVD to install it? Turns out it can run right from a USB drive. I found the below post that details how to configure a USB stick to install Windows, and its much faster than normal.
http://dotnetwizard.net/vista-stuff/tips-how-to-bootinstall-windows-7vista-from-usb-flashhard-drive/