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Microsoft announces Windows 8 Release Preview

Abe Olandres Editor-in-chief June 1, 2012 · 2 min read

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Microsoft today announced the availability of Windows 8 Release Preview for download in 14 different languages. Go hit the break for the download link.

The Windows 8 Consumer Preview came out just in February (it was downloaded more than 1 million times in the first 24 hours) and looks like Microsoft is on track with the developments of their new operating system as attested by this Release Preview.

Microsoft promises that Windows 8 Release Preview will also experience tens of thousands of refinements across the product, such as increased personalization options for the Start screen, improved multimonitor support, refinements to the way people find and download apps through the Windows Store, and new Family Safety features. The new Internet Explorer 10 redefines browsing, particularly for touch-enabled devices. The Web is as fast and fluid as any app, and with new capabilities in the Windows 8 Release Preview such as â€œflip ahead,â€ it is just as intuitive. A touch-friendly and power-optimized Adobe Flash Player is now integrated into Internet Explorer 10, and it is also the first browser to feature Do Not Track â€œonâ€ by default, giving customers more choice and control over their privacy.

Starting June 2, 2012, Microsoft will also launch a Windows Upgrade Offer which will give new buyers of Windows-based PCs from now ’til January 31, 2013 can get Windows 8 Pro for an estimated retail price of $14.99.

You can download a copy of the Windows 8 Release Preview here.

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Abe Olandres

Editor-in-chief

Abe is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of YugaTech with over 20 years of experience in the technology industry. He is one of the pioneers of blogging in the country and is considered by many as the Father of Tech Blogging in the Philippines.

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64 Comments

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0ctate · 14 years ago

tried and tested it here’s my 2 cents:

the UI feels sleek and smooth and multi-tasking and app switching was a blast. multi-monitor support feels so productive as u can see multiple apps in one screen. Yes the Metro UI looks a bit challenging at first but MSFT is trying to implement a unified look here much like their interface in Windows Phone and the Xbox. Their goal here is to not left-out the user but rather combining a rich experience for using the desktop UI, phone UI and console UI in a cohesive and tightly integrated manner. That’s all my personal experience not a MS junkie here. peace out ^_~

EpalLang · 14 years ago

@Kupalangandroidfans magbasa ka muna bago magreact.

ang linaw ng sinabi ni power_user! kung pwede lang maging touchscreen lahat ng laptop. ayos sana ang Win8.

lawrence · 14 years ago

I installed this on my nettop connected to a big screen LED TV. Nice! navigating the UI with a wireless mouse and keyboard is seamless and makes more sense than Windows 7 and other Linux distros I’ve used. Really nice.

At first I was hesitant because I never liked the UI. But, once I’ve used it for a time, the navigation makes sense on my setup. Enjoyed it a lot. So, I suggest to everyone to try it out before making any comments. You might be surprised to like it as I did. :)

RJ de Leon · 14 years ago

Wouldn’t be surprised if the first Service Pack that Redmond releases for Win8 will also allow a return to the more conventional desktop for PCs & laptops/netbooks — perhaps a jazzed-up Win7 look with only minor Metro-UI elements.

kwak · 14 years ago

@Kupalangandroidfans
hindi naman fanboy si power_user. ikaw ang fanboy.
pahiya ka tuloy kasi halatang hindi ka marunong magbasa.
nakapag-aral ka nga bang talaga? kung oo, balikan mo yung reading subject mo sa elementary…mukha kasing ang hirap kang umintindi ng mga sentence.

utak elementary ka kasi…ay hindi, wala pa pala sa utak ng lamok yang utak mo. hahahahahahahahah!!!

reikoku · 14 years ago

currently using windows 8 as my main work pc since the consumer preview. upgraded to the release preview. release preview is much better. took some time getting used to. productivity is still the same as windows 7. so far so good. impressed with settings getting synced after attaching my microsoft id. even the wallpaper and lock screen was synced. impressed with the boot time as it is much better than windows 7.

Yahya · 14 years ago

What machine are you using and specs it have ? You’re making me curious. I’d consider buying a Windows 8 tablet…

reikoku · 14 years ago

first gen quadcore cpu + 2gigs of ram lol.

Kupalangandroidfans · 14 years ago

@power_user Anong pinagmamalaki mo? Android os? Kung makapag react tong mga android fans na mga to sa ibang OS kala mo perpekto ng OS nila.

TriadWarfare · 14 years ago

What the hell are you talking about? I don’t see power_user bragging about Android. He’s just saying Microsoft will fail because MS is trying to be like iPad and Android.

Are you so pissed with Android that you start a flame war just by mentioning its name without reading the whole post?

Typical Anti-Fanboy… Much worse than a Fanboy.

And for the record, Android nor its users don’t suck.

power_user · 14 years ago

@Kupalangandroidfans
Excuse me, I’m no android fanboy. I’m just saying that there’s something in Windows 8 that does not look right in desktops and laptops. And it’s obvious that my statement is free from fanboyism. Use your head next time.

Learn how to read within the lines, okay?

Yahya · 14 years ago

I sincerely am loathing Windows 8… On a PC.
But on a tablet ? Boom.

Windows 8 (RT) tablet wishlist:

10.1 inch LCD2 (or higher) display
1920×1080 resolution (min.)
Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Quad Core at 1.5 Ghz
10 hr battery life (min.)
20 gb storage (min.)
Bluetooth 4.0
MicroSD card slot
42 Mbit/s HSPA+ (HSPA, DC HSPA) and LTE 700/2100/2800 Mhz

And they can win me over or i’ll still be getting an iPad 3. No, I am not using the iPad as my main PC chassis or whatever. What you’re thinking is wrong. If you want to do work, there’s a laptop for that. But with a Windows 8 PC, it will be a real OS to replace my MacBook.

power_user · 14 years ago

I hate to use an OS that doesn’t give its user the choice with user interface to use. Windows 8 forces users to use the Metro UI which looks horrible for use in a desktop and laptop PC.

In an environment where keyboard and mouse is used, Metro UI feels like “getting yourself killed in a gas chamber” instead of “getting a breathe of fresh air”.

I’m afraid that Microsoft will leave desktop and laptop users soon because it’s obvious that they developed Windows 8 so that they can join in the “tablet wars” made by Android and iOS.

Forcing a touch-based interface in a desktop/laptop is definitely frustrating.

Whoever developed Windows 8 must be fired from Microsoft because the gap between the Metro UI and the traditional desktop is very far.

As the old saying goes, “Don’t fix it if it ain’t broke”…but what did Microsoft do?

They fixed something that still works fine. Windows 8 is like “Windows 7 with Metro UI being pasted and slapped in”. Not only that…they removed some interface elements we used to know from older versions of Windows such as the Start Menu and Start button.

In a tablet, Windows 8 looks good. But in a desktop and laptop, Windows 8 is definitely a nightmare.

Windows 8 is definitely Microsoft’s next big disaster to Windows Vista.

Yahya · 14 years ago

Hi ! Can we be friends ? ;) -Mac OS X

BonBon · 14 years ago

Suits your name “power user”. OTOH my mom wants it than windows 7. She says that she’s more productive using it.

SpiderWak · 14 years ago

@power_user I couldn’t agree more.

secludor_s · 14 years ago

As an IT admin, using Windows 8 feels insulting.
Why? I’m a technical person and I don’t like it when an OS is being dumbed down. Currently using Windows Server 8 (which is similar to Windows 8) and I don’t like seeing the Metro UI on a server computer. Metro UI does not look professional in a server environment. Performance-wise, I’m impressed with Windows 8 but its interface continues to disappoint.

I’m on the same ship as you, power_user.
Why fix something that isn’t broken, Microsoft?

O.o · 14 years ago

“Don’t fix anything that ain’t broke”

This saying must not really be abide. This is what we call the dark side of layering and abstraction (sorry forgot the right term). This is also the reason many OS still uses the window UI which was built way back 70s and 80s.

Yeah many people do not really want drastic changes. However, if we wouldn’t want it then we wont be able to advance faster.

Being colorful does not equate to being unprofessional.

SpiderWak · 14 years ago

Done installing Release Preview. First Impression.. I don’t like it.. I don’t feel like this is a PC or maybe I just need to get used to its “style”

bobotech · 14 years ago

Microsoft best days are over!

Chicago and Whistler are good!
But, Longhorn is their doomsday!

Yahya · 14 years ago

Everyday is microsoft’s best day unfortunately ! Windows 8’s market share still, will rise. We got nothing to do with that.

Iyan Sommerset · 14 years ago

I swear, Win8 looks like a kid’s toy. I want a professional looking OS for people who actually do things on their computers.

John · 14 years ago

The one you see on the screenshot is the start menu.

you can change the colors if you want.

the desktop version of windows 8 will be much like windows 7 with few metro tweak.

Yahya · 14 years ago

A professional OS you’re talking about, is a secure and stable OS. You can have a MacBook then ? Saying Windows 8 is unprofessional is like saying Windows 7 was atrocious and has never been professional. Windows 8 = Windows 7 + Metro UI + Apps. Simple as that. No, don’t you dare say “Linux”.