Windows 8 Consumer Preview Available for Download
by Andrew Cunningham on February 29, 2012 9:45 AM ESTAdventurous Windows users can now download the Windows 8 Consumer preview from Microsoft's web site using the link provided below. The preview version of the new OS is available for 32-bit and 64-bit PCs, and can be downloaded either in ISO format (for buring to a DVD or converting to a USB stick using the Windows 7 USB/DVD Download Tool) or as a setup file, which Windows Vista and Windows 7 users can use to pull down the OS from the Internet.
If you prefer to explore these things vicariously (there's no shame in it, really), our coverage of new Windows 8 features has been fairly extensive up until now - you can find all of our previous Windows 8 articles by following this link. A more complete, in-depth look at the Consumer Preview is forthcoming, and should be ready at some point next week.
Source: Microsoft
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kensiko - Wednesday, February 29, 2012 - link
I would have preferred a link to an Iso, but I guess it will download the necessary files. I will stop it before it install Windows over my current installation, I plan on using VirtualBox.kensiko - Wednesday, February 29, 2012 - link
ah I found a link to the Isos:http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows-8/iso
Andrew.a.cunningham - Wednesday, February 29, 2012 - link
All of it's on the page. Enjoy!kensiko - Wednesday, February 29, 2012 - link
Downloaded, installed, running 5 minutes later ! That's what I call a fast installation ! (VirtualBox and ISO and SSD)1wizard4u - Friday, March 2, 2012 - link
Try this one:http://windows.microsoft.com/en-GB/windows-8/iso
n0b0dykn0ws - Wednesday, February 29, 2012 - link
I thought Windows 7 was the last release with a 32 bit version. Or did they change their mind?n0b0dykn0ws
ananduser - Wednesday, February 29, 2012 - link
Why do you care ? Your win8 license covers both versions of the software for your personal use. It might be a redundant choice for you, but some may use it.Kristian Vättö - Wednesday, February 29, 2012 - link
I think the problem is that you can't update from a 32-bit version to a 64-bit version without doing a clean install. There are still plenty of people running 32-bit systems so it would be a huge hassle if people were forced to do a clean install.freedom4556 - Wednesday, February 29, 2012 - link
I guarantee that they changed their minds, assuming that was ever the case. With tablets the target, and ARM support being a new feature, the x86 tablets will almost certainly be 32 bit due to their modest hardware. Besides, it's not like their trying to defragment the platform, they're adding ARM support, so now it's Windows, WOW64, and WOA. At least Itanium's done for.johnsonx - Wednesday, February 29, 2012 - link
I doubt the issue with dropping 32-bit x86 has anything to do with hardware any more. I'm pretty sure the number of machines out there that could reasonably expected to run Windows 8 that aren't 64-bit capable is vanishingly small; all the current low-power x86 CPU's that might be used in a Win8 tablet are 64-bit capable as well.The issue continues to be legacy software. Home users probably don't run into anything stuck on 32-bit that really matters, but businesses often depend on ancient software that just isn't going to run on 64-bit windows for one reason or another; XP Mode and other compatibility solutions aren't always compatible or practical either. Sure, one day those old programs will have to be replaced, but in the meantime Microsoft isn't going to want to have sales of Windows held back because of this issue.