The time has finally come for Windows 8 consumer preview to be released. Essentially a beta, it has been very anticipated and rumors are finally going to be put to rest. Is the MetroUI going to succeed on the desktop? Are there going to be more haters with 8 than with Vista? Time will tell. I’ll make sure to update this post with download links and more information as soon as they are released by Microsoft.
Just remember: it is a beta. Expect bugs. Don’t replace your main OS with it. You WILL have to reinstall and do a clean install, losing your data if it’s not backed up. It will have a time bomb added as with every other beta OS out there. There is no upgrade path to future beta’s or the final product. It’s a clean install or nothing. Some things will work great, others won’t. With that in mind, there are plenty of us out there that are willing to help out with any questions or problems you may have. I’m not a Microsoft employee, but I do enjoy working with Microsoft and their products and love to help out when and where I can. I choose not to have forums on this site, as there are WAY too many forums out there to sign up for and forget about. I highly recommend The Windows Club and their Forums. Great bunch of people and always willing to help out (I’m a regular over there, too). If you want Microsoft’s forums, look to Microsoft Answers.
See you out there! Have fun with the new beta – ahem: Consumer Preview.
UPDATE: Still no Consumer Preview, but related downloads are showing up in the Microsoft Downloads section:
Microsoft PlayReady for Consumer Preview x64
Microsoft PlayReady for Consumer Preview x86
Microsoft PlayReady technology is optimized for the mobile industry to support the growth of online content services, and includes features designed to make it easier than ever for consumers to enjoy mobile digital entertainment. This runtime allows Windows 8 Consumer Preview PC based applications to access PlayReady content using the PlayReady PC Runtime API.
UPDATE: HERE IS THE OFFICIAL PAGE TO DOWNLOAD: http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows-8/consumer-preview
They also include a download for an ISO version, which I highly recommend as you can install to a virtual machine and not mess anything up with your main machine! Have fun! http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows-8/iso
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