Windows 8 Developer Preview release

DOWNLOADS AVAILABLE NOW!!

http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/home/

If you’ve been following this blog, then you know today is a big day for the Windows team. At the BUILD conference we are about to preview Windows 8. There’s a ton to see in the product and so we’d really encourage everyone to check out the available streams on http://buildwindows.com, where we will webcast the keynote. The BUILD conference this week is focused on developers and hardware partners, and there are over 100 sessions (all of which will be available from the link above within about a day of the scheduled presentation time). In that sense it is good to keep in mind that today is the launch of the developer opportunity for Windows, not the launch of a product (and certainly not the launch of new devices).

Windows 8 represents a reimagining of Windows from the chipset to the experience. Since this is a week focused on developers, we also detailed the bold underpinnings of the re-imagination of the Windows platform, tools, and APIs. We will show off the opportunity to build applications for all of the customers of Windows 8, no matter what type of PC they have—from tablets to laptops to convertibles to desktops. We will show the brand new tools that allow you to code Metro style applications in HTML5/JavaScript, C/C++, and/or C#/XAML. The investments you have made as developers in all of these languages carry forward for Windows 8, which lets you choose how to best make use of the Windows 8 system services. We talked about Windows 8 being a no-compromise OS for end-users, and it is also a no-compromise platform for developers.

Many are interested in Windows 8 for ARM processors. Everything we showcased today at BUILD also runs on the ARM-based Windows PCs being created by ARM partners and PC manufacturers. Windows 8 running on ARM will ultimately be available with ARM-based hardware that you can purchase. ARM requires a deeper level of integrated engineering between hardware and software, as each ARM device is unique, and Windows allows this uniqueness to shine through. The new development tools enable you to start today to build Metro style applications that will seamlessly run on x86 (32 and 64 bit) or ARM architectures. Even if you use native C/C++ code, these tools will enable Metro style apps to target specific hardware if you choose. As new PCs become available for testing, PC manufacturers will develop seed programs for developers.

You probably want to try out the preview release—and you can. Starting at 8PM today, Seattle time, you can download all of the code that attendees at BUILD received. This includes 32 or 64 bit x86 builds, with or without development tools. The releases also include a suite of sample/SDK applications and the SDK (please note these are merely illustrations of potential apps, not apps that we intend to ship with Windows 8). The ISOs are linked to from http://dev.windows.com. You download with a Windows Live ID (which you might want to use to test out some of the new roaming features).

Upgrade from Windows 7 installation is not supported for pre-release code; only clean installs are supported. Reminder: this is a developer preview release and is not meant for production. It is not a beta release. We will be updating the release with various quality updates and drivers over the coming weeks/months just to exercise our overall update and telemetry mechanisms.

We’ve got a lot more blogging to do. So stay tuned. This blog continues to be a big part of the development process. Now we have a lot more shared context, and so we expect folks commenting on posts to be running the Preview so we share in the context of the release. Let’s keep comments focused on the topic at hand and we’ll pay attention for potential new topics. We know there will be a lot—that comes from reimagining a product used by a billion people!
--Steven

More...


See also:

http://www.eightforums.com/tutorial...-usb-dvd-windows-8-developer-preview-iso.html

http://www.eightforums.com/tutorial...dows-upgrade-windows-8-developer-preview.html

http://www.eightforums.com/tutorials/2241-virtualbox-install-windows-8-developer-preview.html

 

[Ex_Brit]

It's certainly an interesting departure from the normal Windows OS look and feel. It'll take some getting used to and it's early days in any case.

 

[essenbe]

I have the same issue with ie10. No way to close it or do much else. Strange thing is, I installed from within 7, if I click ie10 from the tabs there are no controls, bookmarks and no way to close it. If I click ie10 from the task bar it looks exactly like ie9, with tabs and all of the menu options. I checked and it says ie10 from the task bar. Something is bad wrong with this set up. Sure would like to know how to get back to the normal start menu with apps without turning it back into windows 7.

Try Right-clicking on the IE Window. That brings up panels on the top and bottom of the screen. Top lets you add new or select between open tabs. Bottom lets you do things like Pin that page, search within page, etc...

If you click within the address bar it will show you a panel with frequently visited pages on the left and pinned pages on the right. You can also search by typing something to search for in the address bar.

I've done that, but there is still no command bar, favorites or any option to close the program. Maybe just type exit in the address bar? Just trying to think of something.

 

[brummyfan]

Have you tried clicking Desktop in the Start window? if you click that IE10 opens with Home, Favourites and Settings.

 

[strollin]

I have the same issue with ie10. No way to close it or do much else. Strange thing is, I installed from within 7, if I click ie10 from the tabs there are no controls, bookmarks and no way to close it. If I click ie10 from the task bar it looks exactly like ie9, with tabs and all of the menu options. I checked and it says ie10 from the task bar. Something is bad wrong with this set up. Sure would like to know how to get back to the normal start menu with apps without turning it back into windows 7.

Try Right-clicking on the IE Window. That brings up panels on the top and bottom of the screen. Top lets you add new or select between open tabs. Bottom lets you do things like Pin that page, search within page, etc...

If you click within the address bar it will show you a panel with frequently visited pages on the left and pinned pages on the right. You can also search by typing something to search for in the address bar.

I've done that, but there is still no command bar, favorites or any option to close the program. Maybe just type exit in the address bar? Just trying to think of something.

If you right-click, then click on the address bar, you will see a panel that shows your frequently visited pages on the left with the pinned pages on the right. Pinned pages are your "favorites".

It may be that the OS will manage the apps so we don't need to worry about closing them. It took me awhile to accept that when I first started using an Android based phone.

 

[Bill2]

As it is, Win 8 seems like 2 different OSes bolted together. Metro being a phone OS bolted together with Win 7 underneath. Hopefully, by the time Win 8 is released the integration between the two will get better.

Exactly my thoughts. Once I got rid of the metro UI, it was back to business as usual.

 

[Shadowjk]

But say they did get rid of the Metro UI for desktops then it is just the same as Windows 7 but with a few ribbons here and there ...

 

[blackroseMD1]

Here's the official guide to the Win 8 Dev Preview from MS.

http://ow.ly/6tKJE

This might explain not being able to close Metro apps:

Metro style apps run and stay up to date even when the PC is on standby. When you’re connected to the Internet, you’ll receive information updates, email, VoIP calls, instant messages, and be able to stream music or other content in the background. When Windows comes out of standby, your apps don’t need time to catch up.

 

[Josey Wales]

Here's the official guide to the Win 8 Dev Preview from MS.

http://ow.ly/6tKJE

This might explain not being able to close Metro apps:

Metro style apps run and stay up to date even when the PC is on standby. When you’re connected to the Internet, you’ll receive information updates, email, VoIP calls, instant messages, and be able to stream music or other content in the background. When Windows comes out of standby, your apps don’t need time to catch up.

Thanks for that.

 

[Bill2]

But say they did get rid of the Metro UI for desktops then it is just the same as Windows 7 but with a few ribbons here and there ...

You bet. Thats whats so frustrating. Unless one uses a touch UI its virtually the same as win7.

 

[strollin]

Here's the official guide to the Win 8 Dev Preview from MS.

http://ow.ly/6tKJE ...

Interesting read, thanks.

 

[Dwarf]

Looks like I'll be downloading and hopefully installing (if I've got time, as I'm doing split shifts atm) tomorrow afternoon. Failing that, I'll download tomorrow and install on Thursday.

I just wish that they would give the time both in their local zone and the equivalent in UTC/GMT as it would make it easier for me (and, no doubt, others as well).

I'm going to download and install all 3 versions and see what I can do with them. I've already downloaded and extracted the 32-bit and 64-bit basic versions, I'm currently downloading the 64-bit version with developer tools. From what I've seen of the .ISOs when extracted, it should be possible to create USB install drives in exactly the same way as in Vista and W7. I'm going to be doing the actual installations tomorrow afternoon (and Friday afternoon, if I haven't enough time on Thursday).

 

[Bill2]

Dwarf, if its any help I've installed exactly as in 7- created a bootable flash drive the diskpart way, dumped the extracted iso contents into it and booted from it.

 

[24c]

Dwarf, if its any help I've installed exactly as in 7- created a bootable flash drive the diskpart way, dumped the extracted iso contents into it and booted from it.

Me too.

 

[Dwarf]

Thanks.

 

[RamGuy]

Is there any way to completely disable this Metro UI nonsense? It simply makes my desktop experience feel clunky when I have to Start --> Metro --> Control Panel --> Good Old Control Panel etc..

 

[kado897]

Yes there is a registry hack here Windows 8 Screenshot Tour: Everything You Possibly Want to Know - How-To Geek but then it just looks like it's Win 7. Even the ribbons go.

 

[24c]

Yes there is a registry hack here Windows 8 Screenshot Tour: Everything You Possibly Want to Know - How-To Geek but then it just looks like it's Win 7. Even the ribbons go.

For me the Win7 thing is a good thing right now, I'm not ready to be a Metro Guy yet. I plan to re-visit it with each new release.
FWIW, I have dual monitors set up and the Win8 dual monitor feature seems to have gone away with the ribbons and Metro UI.

 

[baarod]

Hmmmm, I've just seen the CPU utilization in task manager on my laptop go to 111%

It's a Spinal Tap nod I'm sure.

 

[Cookieman]

My first impressions - Wow! At first glance I feel I should hate the metro window and my brain agrees, but I keep looking at it and I'm kind of liking it, I cant seem to agree with myself what to make of it! It certainly is a radical change.

 

[vrosa]

After that I want to see what BUILD has