Windows 8 is arguably the biggest revamp to Microsoft Windows since Windows 3.1 and brings the Metro touch elements of Windows Phone to the desktop and the tablet form factors. It is strange, it is different and it will shake things up in the OS segment. Aside from the new tiled interface, Microsoft has jettisoned the iconic Start button and restructured a lot of the functionality. This is the future of your desktop, you best be getting used to it.
The Windows 8 Consumer Preview can be downloaded now and is free. Below are the key features as well as the official word from Redmond. See a video and more info on Windows 8 here.
1. The Windows 8 Consumer Preview is ready for download - if you have a Windows 7 PC, you are ready for Windows 8. Give it a try, and share what you think. We hope you enjoy the fast, fluid and no-compromise experience with Windows 8.
2. The new Window Store is now open with the Windows 8 Consumer Preview. For more information, feel free to visit the Windows Store Blog in addition to the Windows 8 Consumer Preview conversations happening on The Windows Blog and the B8 Blog .
3. The Windows 8 Consumer Preview is compatible with mouse and keyboard as well as touch Please read the Microsoft Hardware blog post regarding these updates.
4. Visit Microsoft News Center to read the Windows 8 Consumer Preview press release and see product images and a keynote video (note video availability may depend on uploads from Barcelona).
For Release 3:45 p.m. CET
Feb. 29, 2012
Microsoft Announces Availability of Windows 8 Consumer Preview
Milestone lets users explore a re-imagined, no-compromises Windows experience.
BARCELONA, Spain — Feb. 29, 2012 — Microsoft Corp. today announced the availability of the Windows 8 Consumer Preview — the next milestone of the Windows operating system. This latest preview will be made available for download starting today at http://preview.windows.com. The Windows 8 Consumer Preview offers a more robust experience for testing the world’s most popular operating system and is available to the widest range of people yet following the initial release of the Windows 8 Developer Preview late last year. The Developer Preview received more than 3 million downloads.
“With Windows 8, we reimagined the different ways people interact with their PC and how to make everything feel like a natural extension of the device, whether using a Windows 8 tablet, laptop or all-in-one,” said Steven Sinofsky, president of the Windows and Windows Live Division at Microsoft. “The Windows 8 Consumer Preview brings a no-compromises approach to using your PC.”
At a Windows 8 Consumer Preview event in Barcelona that was attended by partners from Europe and around the world, the company shared some key new updates in the Windows 8 Consumer Preview:
· Broad range of product changes and improvements. Since the Developer Preview in September, designed to preview the programming platform, Windows 8 has progressed across every dimension. From completing the user experience for touch, keyboard and mouse to refining the development platform, the Consumer Preview improves performance, quality and reliability across all subsystems. With the added features, it represents a more complete view of the capabilities of Windows 8.
· Windows Store with new apps. The Windows 8 Consumer Preview marks the beta opening of the Windows Store, which is filled with a variety of new Metro style apps from both third-party developers and Microsoft. During the Consumer Preview, these apps are available to try and experience at no cost to users. The Windows Store will offer personalized recommendations, and Windows 8 gives users the ability to take their apps and settings with them across multiple PCs, making it easy to discover and try new apps while offering developers the greatest opportunity of any platform.
· Connecting to the cloud across Windows-based PCs and Windows Phone 7. The Windows 8 Consumer Preview offers seamless integration with the content people care about across their Web services. An optional additional sign-on with a Microsoft account provides access to a host of features, including the ability to roam all settings, use cloud storage, communicate with email, calendar and contacts, and connect to a broad range of services. Your connection to the cloud works across your Windows-based PCs and your Windows 7 phones.
· Internet Explorer 10 Platform Preview 5. The best way to experience the Web on Windows is with Internet Explorer 10. The browser has been re-imagined to create a new experience designed specifically for Windows 8 devices. It provides an edge-to-edge user interface that is all about less browser and more Web. Fast and fluid, Internet Explorer is hardware-accelerated to enable Web performance.
· Preview of new hardware capabilities. At the event, Microsoft also showcased Windows 8 running on a wide range of new x86- and ARM-based reference hardware. This hardware will be available to select developers for trial and testing as previously announced.
The Windows 8 Consumer Preview will be available worldwide for download in English, French, German, Japanese and simplified Chinese languages. More information about Windows 8 and how to download the Consumer Preview is available at http://preview.windows.com or http://windowsteamblog.com.