Microsoft Windows 8 Consumer Preview Coming February 29th
The Microsoft Windows 8 Consumer Preview, essentially Microsoft’s beta edition, will arriving on February 29, 2012. This is great news for those that have been waiting for a newer consumer ready build. Microsoft released a developer build last year, but it wasn’t ideal for consumer use or testing. Unless Microsoft is forced to make major changes based on user feedback or runs into an unforeseen issue it appears that Windows 8 final will be launching in Q4 2012. Windows 8 has been designed to position Microsoft in the fast-growing tablet market dominated by Apple’s iPad and products that run Google’s Android software. Windows 8 is obviously critical to Microsoft’s mobile future and insiders say it represents the most dramatic overhaul of the operating system since release of Windows 95, 16 years ago. It will include better recovery options, a metro-style user interface, enhanced wireless networking options, support for ARM-based processors, picture password unlocking, a new Resilient File System (ReFS), improved power-efficiency and more. It better be good as Microsoft will have a tough time getting into the spotlight with the Apple iPad 3 and iPhone 5 also launching this year.
The goal of the forthcoming beta release of Windows 8 is to gather consumer feedback on the new operating system, Microsoft Corp.’s (MSFT) chief financial officer said Wednesday. Peter Klein told the audience at a Goldman Sachs technology conference in San Francisco that Microsoft gave developers a preview of the new operating system in fall and will add consumers to the audience with a so-called “consumer release” later this month. The staged introduction will allow users to “absorb what is new in Windows 8 and why it really builds on traditional value,” said Klein.
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