Windows 8 Release Preview Announced

April 24, 2012 by 3 Comments

The Building Windows 8 Twitter account has announced that the Windows 8 Release Preview is set to hit in the first week of June, so if you are currently testing out the W8 Consumer Preview then you only have a little over a month to get your hands on the latest version in the run up to the final release which should debut in October 2012.

Windows 8 is the official product name for the next x86/64 editions of Windows.

According to an article on the Windows Teams Blog by Brandon LeBlanc, there will be 3 versions of Windows 8:

  • Windows 8
  • Windows 8 Pro
  • Windows RT (ARM Edition)

For a more detailed look at the 3 different versions, please read Brandon’s article here.

The below chart breaks down key features by edition (this list should not be considered an exhaustive list of features):

Feature name Windows 8 Windows 8 Pro Windows RT
Upgrades from Windows 7 Starter, Home Basic, Home Premium

x

x
Upgrades from Windows 7 Professional, Ultimate x
Start screen, Semantic Zoom, Live Tiles x x x
Windows Store x x x
Apps (Mail, Calendar, People, Messaging, Photos, SkyDrive, Reader, Music, Video) x x x
Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, OneNote) x
Internet Explorer 10 x x x
Device encryption x
Connected standby x x x
Microsoft account x x x
Desktop x x x
Installation of x86/64 and desktop software x x
Updated Windows Explorer x x x
Windows Defender x x x
SmartScreen x x x
Windows Update x x x
Enhanced Task Manager x x x
Switch languages on the fly (Language Packs) x x x
Better multiple monitor support x x x
Storage Spaces x x
Windows Media Player x x
Exchange ActiveSync x x x
File history x x x
ISO / VHD mount x x x
Mobile broadband features x x x
Picture password x x x
Play To x x x
Remote Desktop (client) x x x
Reset and refresh your PC x x x
Snap x x x
Touch and Thumb keyboard x x x
Trusted boot x x x
VPN client x x x
BitLocker and BitLocker To Go x
Boot from VHD x
Client Hyper-V x
Domain Join x
Encrypting File System x
Group Policy x
Remote Desktop (host) x
Filed Under: Tutorial
  • http://garybell.co.uk Gary Bell

    I took a look at the Windows 8 consumer preview today and had some mixed feelings about it, but it was a generally good experience.

    http://garybell.co.uk/tech/windows-8-consumer-preview

    • http://techfleece.com thegift73

      Hi Gary,

      What were the things you had the main issues with. I know that a lot of people have issues with the actual navigation, but it does feel easier the more you use it.

      • http://garybell.co.uk Gary Bell

        Getting used to the navigation took a little while, but it does get easier the more you use it. It just seems like tablet and phone users have been given a priority over desktop users (which will be the majority consumer probably) when it comes to the interface.

        My main issue with the whole thing though was the amount of information which you need to fill in to use the system. Postal code, date of birth, e-mail address and gender. It all seems a little excessive for what amounts to an intrinsic part of any computer experience.

        I also had it freeze on me at one point, but I don’t mind that so much as that could have been an issue in the virtual machine I was running it on, and also it is a beta release, so these things will happen.

        I have to admit that, as a Linux user, I found the overall experience quite good and easy to use.

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