glorify
Well-known member
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Much like when Windows 7 RC was released nearly a year before Windows 7 came out, MS is now offering Windows 8 for free download to anyone.
The download will be made available tonight at 8pm PT.
Relevant links:
http://www.engadget.com/2011/09/1...-download/
http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/home/
32- or 64-bit x86 machines only - no ARM build, which means no Touchpad hack is going to come from this build.
More:
It will stop working after a year. (prepare yourselves for a slew of Win8 expiration questions and MS bashing a year from now)
How does Windows 8 compare to Windows 7?
http://www.engadget.com/2011/09/1...verything/
- All Windows 7 applications will run natively on Windows 8
- Security update notifications have been minimized to the lower right of the log-in screen
- Refreshed Windows Task Manager suspends apps when they're not running on-screen
- New "Reset and Refresh PC" functions enable simplified system wipe and restore
- HyperV virtualization software comes pre-loaded on Windows 8
- Multi-monitor support now enables a single background across screens, as well as monitor-specific task bars
- Multi-touch support enabled for Internet Explorer 10
- Magnifier function enhanced for desktop manipulation
- Optional thumb-by-thumb input mode
- SkyDrive storage support integrated into all cloud-based apps
- Metro-style refresh for Mail, Photos, Calendar and People apps with Windows Live ID
- Settings roam allows for preferences to sync across a user's Windows 8 devices
- Continued update support for Windows 8 Developer Preview Beta
- Even a Lenovo S10 (first-gen Atom + 1GB of RAM) can "run" Windows 8
- There's "no overlays" with Windows 8; Metro-style goodness is baked into the core
- Both Metro-style and conventional Win32 apps will be sold in the Windows Store
- Windows 8 devices equipped with an NFC chip will be able to use a tap-to-share feature to either send content from one device to another, or simply receive content from something like an NFC-equipped card.
- Logins will use a photo-based system
- Apps will be able to natively connect and understand one another (if written as such)
- Built-in antivirus software will ship in Windows 8
- There will not be a different edition of Windows 8 for tablets, and presumably, not for Media Centers either
- It's unclear how many "editions" (Home, Professional, Ultimate, etc.) of Windows 8 there will be
- ARM devices will be supported, but not in the developer preview
If you want to try it out, but want to preserve your Vista or Win7 for use after the expiration without dual booting, then I suggest reading how to use a system Image from the link below. Make sure you also create a system repair disc. The repair disc is the bootable disc that makes reading the image possible. Typical images on a fresh machine consist of 10-30GB. you'll find out the space required before it starts.
http://www.howtogeek.com/howto/42...windows-7/
An alternative method for installation is to create a partition in Windows 7 and then install Windows 8 on it. By doing this, you can choose to boot into either Windows 7 or 8. None of your personal files will be changed and removing Windows 8 is as easy as removing the partition. You can see steps here: http://windows.microsoft.com/en-U...-partition