Microsoft previews Windows 8 operating system

[Terpe]

Microsoft has launched the most complete preview yet of its forthcoming Windows 8 operating system.

The company said that tens of thousands of improvements have been made to what it calls the most important redesign of its interface since Windows 95.

Consumers can now download the release preview of Windows 8, a system which Microsoft says is its most tested operating system ever.

It is expected to go on sale in the autumn, three years after Windows 7.

The new operating system is designed to bring Windows into the touchscreen, smartphone era.

It adopts the Metro interface of the company's mobile operating system, Windows Phone 7.

Windows, which still dominates the desktop PC software market, has been much slower to make an impact on mobile phones and tablet computers.

The release preview has features not available in the last version, the consumer preview, launched in February


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[joebloggs]

I'm still using XP

[KeithD]

It's not worth updating if your are just using it for basic Windows functions. I'll be waiting until Windows 9 and see what that brings.

[jonnijon]

If you dont have a touch screen dont bother, its a nightmare

[somebody]

As a large corporation the MIS boys had Microsoft in and out trying to get them to upgrade and sell licenses etc. While the metro UI is now hardbaked in unlike the preview one of the chaps in the MIS delegation said MS have said it can be altered (ie made to look pretty normal if required) and now it looks like once Surface devices are out for testing it will all make more sense.

Underneath windows 8 has some brilliant features which the admins will love me thinks the testing our company has done with user though out the company has surprised them they were expecting a big thumbs down what they got was from many was once they got to grips with it a ohh can i keep using this.

Still things not perfect about it but that's what software evolution is about and no major company will be using on a large scale for a year or two anyway. By then most people will have upgraded their pc for 40 quid or whatever it will be with the special offer and be familiar with it anyhow..