Microsoft Announces Availability of Windows 8 Consumer Preview

Steven Sinofsky, President of the Windows and Windows Live Division at Microsoft, along with members of his engineering leadership team, took the stage in Barcelona yesterday evening to showcase the Windows 8 Consumer Preview – the beta milestone for Windows 8 which is more than the next version of the operating system. It is a reimagining of Windows.

We can provide you with the following materials and details regarding this announcement should you want any additional information:

1.    The Windows 8 Consumer Preview is ready for download.

If you have a Windows 7 PC, you are ready for Windows 8. Give it a try, and share what you think. We hope you enjoy the fast, fluid and no-compromise experience with Windows 8.

2.    The new Windows Store is now open with the Windows 8 Consumer Preview. For more information, feel free to visit the Windows Store Blog in addition to the Windows 8 Consumer Preview conversations happening on The Windows Blog and the B8 Blog.

3.    The Windows 8 Consumer Preview is compatible with mouse and keyboard as well as touch. Please read the Microsoft Hardware blog post regarding these updates.

4.    Visit Microsoft News Center to read the Windows 8 Consumer Preview press release and see product images and a keynote video (please note: video availability may depend on uploads from Barcelona).

Please to visit the Microsoft News Center, the Windows Store Blog and The Windows Blog throughout the day as new event images, video and blog posts are uploaded to the site. In the meantime, follow the #windows8 hashtag on Twitter for real-time updates and @Windows for news and information from Consumer Preview.