Microsoft: Windows 8 preview is hit with developers

by Stevie Smith - Sep 15 2011, 06:35

The official arrival of Windows 8 may be a year or so away, but there’s clearly already solid demand for Microsoft’s next generation grid-based operating system (OS).

More pointedly, the Redmond-based software specialist has today revealed that a preview build of Windows 8 launched this week has been downloaded more than 500,000 times by eager industry developers.

“While it’s clear we have a long way to go still with Windows 8, we’ve been gratified by the reactions and the interest,” enthused Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer during a technology conference in California.

Using the conference platform to help focus the appeal of its forthcoming operating system, Microsoft gifted 5,000 attendees with a Samsung tablet computer running Windows 8.

It’s worth noting that, while said device contained Intel-based processing technology, Windows 8 is being developed to offer increased compatibility alongside the range of ARM-based mobile chips found in the majority of tablets and smartphones.

Although it’s highly unlikely Microsoft will send you—or us—a snazzy preview tablet to play with, we can all put Windows 8 through its paces by downloading it through the following official link.

Be warned though: It’s a preview build (meant specifically for developers) that’s a long way from being final. As such, expect to encounter bugs galore and sporadic stability issues. 

The availability of Windows 8 follows on from a boot-speed video released last week by Microsoft, in which a notebook computer is shown booting from cold in just eight seconds.

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