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

 

[mikedl]

I dunno. I kinda like it. Once you customize it, you can reduce the number of mouse clicks to get to an app.




Additionally, it's great on multiple monitors.

 

[davefinster]

I dunno. I kinda like it. Once you customize it, you can reduce the number of mouse clicks to get to an app.


View attachment 1811

Additionally, it's great on multiple monitors.

When will I ever learn?
I really did try it again. But I made the mistake of following directions, like a good trooper, and after it installed 16 updates, it said to restart. I did, and got stuck in reboot hell...it kept running automatic repair. When it couldn't "repair" whatever it thought was wrong, it presented the option of continuing into windows or running its "refresh" thingy. I tried the "continue" option first. No joy there...it just went back to reboot hell, and started running automatic repair again. when it finally got to the option screen, I tried "refresh". It essentially ran the install over again (without anything very interesting appearing on the screen to tell me what might be going on), thgen ended up "Preparing". After about 45 minutes of this screen, I gave up, and once again restyored Windows 7. I realize there are several knowledge base articles addressing issues...maybe even this one???...but I never could get past what Win 8 wanted to doi first so that I could access those artciles. So I decided that Windows MetroBob 2011 had folled me for the last time, and am now happily back at my thoroughly tweaked and customized, smooth running, intuitive Windows 7.

 

[jimbo45]

Couldn't get it work on vmware.

Hi there
For vmware you need to use Version 8 (you can download free for 30 days) - then it works fine.

BTW if you don't like the metro GUI you can disable it -- see my tip on W7 Forum or on W8 virtualisation Forum

Cheers
jimbo

 

[kenshen]

hey guys i'm back after some account trouble any way i am loving windows 8 i think its great

 

[rowal5555]

Popular anyway, LOL
Windows 8 Download Gets Off To Fast Start

Ballmer also revealed that a developer preview that went live for public download this week was downloaded more than half a million times in the first 12 hours of availability.

No wonder it took me 7-8 hours.

 

[robinbredin]

Right, we have had the Developer Preview, know lets have the beta.

 

[vrosa]

Additionally, it's great on multiple monitors.

Way to go !

hey guys i'm back after some account trouble any way i am loving windows 8 i think its great

I needed some time to get used to it, but now I like it too ;

 

[twdawson]

I just want to metro apps for mail and calendar, why they did not leave them in this build is beyond me.

 

[crimson]

I don't understand. It says the installer is for Windows 8 with metro apps? What is that? Aren't those apps for a cellphone?

Windows 8 requires 20GB for x64? Is all this right?

 

[rowal5555]

My Win 8 x 64 in a pretty basic operation is using up 15.4 GB. Add 15% (3 GB) breathing room for a 20 GB partition and you are getting pretty tight, but it should run fine.
I made a 50GB partition for it.

 

[mikedl]

Yeah, I gave it 30 Gigs and still have 7 Gigs left after installing Office 2010.

 

[rowal5555]

Good. Always remember the 15% free space required for any Windows version to work properly. 4.5 GB in this case.
Cheers

 

[kado897]

Has anyone else noticed that the System Reserved partition is now 350 MB with 208MB used?

 

[rowal5555]

I made a 50GB partition on the 7x32 drive for Win 8 and it is still 100MB with 48MB free. It hasn't increased with this setup.

 

[xxxdannyxxx]

I installed on a dual boot also .My system reserved partition I made 200Mb when installing 7 and now still reads 154Mb free.

Danny

 

[mikedl]

"System Reserved Partition?"
Where are you guys seeing that?

I hate to sound like a noob (I'm not) but I've never had to worry about "System Reserved Partition" or ever been confronted with sizing whatever it is.

My DM screenshot:

 

[brummyfan]

I can see the system reserved but I couldn't find how much is used.

 

[xxxdannyxxx]

Your windows 7 partition contains your boot files. It depends on how you installed windows 7.If you install to unallocated space it will create a small system reserved partition 100Mb at the beginning of the drive to hold the boot files and WinRE and mark that active to boot from. I always create this partition before I install window 7 and make it 200Mb as advised by some guys over at seven.

Danny

 

[xxxdannyxxx]

I can see the system reserved but I couldn't find how much is used.

Its in the written information at the top of the disk management page.

 

[mikedl]

Thanks, Danny.

I have never done that. Ever.
I just create a partition and install the OS.

What's the advantage?
I am now using the Win8 OS selection menu and I can boot into either Win8 8102.109 or Win7.
I have never setup a "System Reserved Partition."