Windows 8 Beta In Late February.

[gmaster456]

When Win8 is released, are we still able to plug along our free pre-release DEV-Preview, or BETA release? Just checking

If Windows 7 is any indication, It will work for a few months after the official release comes out. Windows 7 came out Oct, 22 (I think) of 2009. The Windows 7 RC was supported until sometime in May of 2010 I believe. If memory serves correctly.

 

[hclarkjr]

http://news.softpedia.com/news/No-Windows-8-Ultimate-SKU-Report-255056.shtml


Microsoft might reduce the number of SKUs available for its Windows 8 platform, recent reports suggest.

Apparently, the Redmond-based software company has concluded that the ultimate edition of its previous Windows versions did not sale well enough to offer it for Windows 8 as well.

Previously, the company has been offering the Windows platform in four SKUs, including Home Premium, Professional, Enterprise and Ultimate.

The Enterprise SKU is available only for companies, but the rest of the versions were released for the general public.

However, ZDNet’s Stephen Chapman has managed to grab a series of leaked documents coming from Hewlett-Packard, which mention only three of these SKUs.

When Windows 8 arrives on shelves, there will be a generic flavor available for users, along with a Professional version, and the Enterprise iteration.

According to Stephen Baker, an analyst with the NPD Group, cited by Computerworld, Microsoft decided to kill off the Ultimate SKU of Windows due to the lack of demand it had seen for it before.

"There had been interest in Windows 7 Ultimate," he notes. However, sales have been too slow when compared to those of Home Premium and Professional versions.

The analyst also notes that, if there is going be an Ultimate flavor of Windows 8, Microsoft will make it available only as an OEM SKU.

The software giant is also expected to plan renaming the Home Premium flavor of Windows 8. This SKU, along with the Professional edition of the platform, will be the only two Windows 8 iteration made available for purchase for the public.

The Enterprise SKU will be there as well, but available only for businesses, and only for volume-license purchases.

Microsoft has yet to unveil info on the matter. The company plans on launching the Consumer Preview version of Windows 8 as soon as next week, and some more details on the number of SKUs it will have up for sale when the final version arrives might be unveiled at that time.

 

[gmaster456]

The author forgot about Windows 7 starter and Home Basic. Also, there better be a way to turn Metro off in the Professional and Enterprise editions without doing that registry hack. Because whatever MS is smoking better be REALLY good if they think business users will jump on Windows 8 in its current form. I sure as hell won't be deploying it and will be rolling new machines back to Windows 7 Pro. It's been hard enough training people how to use Windows 7 efficiently.

 

[ViRGE]

Boy that's going to be nice if it's true. Microsoft has had too many editions of Windows since Vista. Professional should do everything Ultimate does, which is to say Enterprise and Professional should be equal. Splitting up Professional into 2 tiers was annoying.

 

[wirednuts]

The author forgot about Windows 7 starter and Home Basic. Also, there better be a way to turn Metro off in the Professional and Enterprise editions without doing that registry hack. Because whatever MS is smoking better be REALLY good if they think business users will jump on Windows 8 in its current form. I sure as hell won't be deploying it and will be rolling new machines back to Windows 7 Pro. It's been hard enough training people how to use Windows 7 efficiently.

i dont see any reason any business will go to win8, at any point. why? its still vista based. win7 will still be supported for years. and everyone FINALLY got off winxp just in the last 3 years... theyre certainly not going to want to do another upgrade so soon. especially when most businesses just run their own proprietary software and they REALLY dont care that much about the os itself because they dont interact with it much.

 

[Dominato3r]

My favorite news about Win8 from the past week in the Skydrive integration. Seems like it's going to be an awesome service.

 

[Dulanic]

My favorite news about Win8 from the past week in the Skydrive integration. Seems like it's going to be an awesome service.

Skydrive had potential but MS has not really had a smooth implementation for it so far.

 

[gmaster456]

Skydrive had potential but MS has not really had a smooth implementation for it so far.

I agree. I use it on and off and while its handy, it just feels clunky.

 

[neilm]

Haven't done much research about Win8, but I gather it could be released later in the year. Should I be worried about their support for ARM chips and this "cloud" jazz?

 

[gmaster456]

Haven't done much research about Win8, but I gather it could be released later in the year. Should I be worried about their support for ARM chips and this "cloud" jazz?

Since local storage is still an option, and ARM only affects tablets and maybe some netbooks, I wouldn't be concerned over those.

 

[ultimatebob]

Hopefully the beta is a bit more polished, which I'm almost sure it will be. Does anyone know if it will come in different versions like
Starter
Home Premium
Professional
Ultimate
or will it be more of a one size fits all deal? That's the one thing I'm confused about. Whether, you have to use metro or not, as it is, I don't see the need for windows 8 in a business environment. On desktops anyway.

Sadly, they'll probably have even more versions than that. They'll probably have Corporate, Enterprise, and Embedded versions as well, if for no other reason than to confuse their users into buying a more expensive version of Windows than what they need.

 

[gmaster456]

Sadly, they'll probably have even more versions than that. They'll probably have Corporate, Enterprise, and Embedded versions as well, if for no other reason than to confuse their users into buying a more expensive version of Windows than what they need.

Somebody just posted (username escapes me. It's above) that there will be even less SKU's this time. Standard, Professioanl and Enterprise.

 

[Crow550]

Since the public beta starts at the end of February and release date is planned for October are we to assume they will be doing pre-orders for the Home Premium for $50 or maybe lower in June or July like they did for Windows 7?

 

[Chiefcrowe]

Yeah, I assume they will be. I think they would be silly not to. It was a great promo and with increasing competition they could use this!

Since the public beta starts at the end of February and release date is planned for October are we to assume they will be doing pre-orders for the Home Premium for $50 or maybe lower in June or July like they did for Windows 7?

 

[gmaster456]

If I can get Windows 8 for $50. I'd bite. Just to have.

 

[M0RPH]

Any word on the beta?

 

[jalaram]

Link

Microsoft to showcase Windows 8 at MWC (Wednesday, 6 a.m. PT)

Between this at 9am EST and the Raspberry Pi sale at 1am EST, it's going to be a rough night.

 

[hclarkjr]

http://www.winbeta.org/news/no-webcast-windows-8-consumer-preview-launch-download-only-hours-away

Everyone is excited over the upcoming Windows 8 Consumer Preview, which is also known as the Beta. Microsoft has revealed that there will be no webcast for the launch event, unlike the Developer Preview which actually had a webcast.

As ComputerWorld reports, Microsoft will not be offering a webcast for Wednesday's launch event for the highly anticipated Windows 8 Consumer Preview, unlike the Developer Preview which had a webcast. The event which takes places at the Mobile World Congress is expected to begin at 6AM Pacific and 9AM Eastern on the 29th of this month. Microsoft is expected to offer a download during or perhaps after the launch event.
"The Windows Consumer Preview, the beta of Windows 8 on x86/64, will be available for download by the end of February. This next milestone of Windows 8 will be available in several languages and is open for anyone to download," Microsoft had originally stated a few weeks ago.

 

[ViRGE]

It doesn't sound like the MWC event is going to be particularly high key then.

 

[hclarkjr]

http://winunleaked.tk/2012/02/wcp-ready-for-launch/

On Sunday, the final Windows 8 Consumer Preview build was uploaded to Microsoft Servers under the buildstring 8250.0.WINMAIN_WIN8BETA.120217-1520. All Feature Build Lab’s work has been merged in only one assembly. Some interesting new features:

1. The new icon showed by UEX team some time ago is now a part of the charm bar, with customizable color.
2. The show desktop button is not visible anymore, but the feature is still present.
3. New setup icon and installprep splash screen image.

Microsoft continues their work, the lastest Pre-RC build is 8288.0.winmain.120223-1751. For more information, go discuss WCP & RC builds on the forums, check the Windows 8 Build List, and have fun with Windows 8 Consumer Preview


(Samsung Slate powered by Windows 8 Consumer Preview)
UPDATE:
Here isos name for Windows 8 Consumer Preview:
8250.0.WINMAIN_WIN8BETA.120217-1520_X64FRE_CLIENT_EN-US-HB1_CCPA_X64FRE_EN-US_DV5.ISO
8250.0.WINMAIN_WIN8BETA.120217-1520_X86FRE_CLIENT_EN-US-HB1_CCPA_X86FRE_EN-US_DV5.ISO
8250.0.WINMAIN_WIN8BETA.120217-1520_X64FRE_CLIENT_ZH-CN-HB1_CCPA_X64FRE_ZH-CN_DV5.ISO
8250.0.WINMAIN_WIN8BETA.120217-1520_X86FRE_CLIENT_ZH-CN-HB1_CCPA_X86FRE_ZH-CN_DV5.ISO
8250.0.WINMAIN_WIN8BETA.120217-1520_X64FRE_CLIENT_ZH-TW-HB1_CCPA_X64FRE_ZH-TW_DV5.ISO
8250.0.WINMAIN_WIN8BETA.120217-1520_X86FRE_CLIENT_ZH-TW-HB1_CCPA_X86FRE_ZH-TW_DV5.ISO
8250.0.WINMAIN_WIN8BETA.120217-1520_X64FRE_CLIENT_DE-DE-HB1_CCPA_X64FRE_DE-DE_DV5.ISO
8250.0.WINMAIN_WIN8BETA.120217-1520_X86FRE_CLIENT_DE-DE-HB1_CCPA_X86FRE_DE-DE_DV5.ISO
This build come with built-in apps, also, more than 100 apps ready on the Windows Store

 

[SAWYER]

removed

 

[aaksheytalwar]

How do you open an ESD file?

 

[hclarkjr]

i am guessing you rename it to .iso?

 

[SAWYER]

Disregard, that is supposedly for people who had an earlier build

 

[Rebel44]

Is link to download beta available?