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Microsoft Releases Windows 8 Developer Preview

Posted by Soulskill on from the it-will-confirm-all-of-your-unfounded-opinions dept.

New submitter Tonyd0311 writes "Microsoft has just released the Windows 8 Developer Preview in both x86 and x64 formats. The download includes an SDK for Metro-style apps, and 28 example apps. It also has 'developer preview' versions of Expression Blend 5 and Visual Studio 11 Express."

11 of 266 comments (clear)

  1. Windows 8 by North+Korea · · Score: 3, Informative

    I tested it earlier today and I think it looks great. The boot time is insanely fast, the metro UI is better than I thought and you can still easily change to the normal Windows shell. On top of that developers can target both Windows PC and the upcoming Windows tablet markets with their apps. Overall I got a very good impression of Windows 8.

    1. Re:Windows 8 by Dyinobal · · Score: 5, Funny

      Ya I trust all the news I get from North Korean sources too.

  2. Whew! by Black+Parrot · · Score: 5, Interesting

    I was starting to worry that we'd have to go a whole 12 hours before we got another Windows 8 story.

    --
    Sheesh, evil *and* a jerk. -- Jade
    1. Re:Whew! by igreaterthanu · · Score: 4, Insightful

      Hey at least it's not about Bitcoin. ;)

      --
      I dream of a nation where a man is not judged by his skin color but by an number assigned by a credit rating agency.
    2. Re:Whew! by Ihmhi · · Score: 3, Funny

      Did you guys hear that Windows 8 will have a Bitcoin mining application built into it? You can also refinance your mortgage and buy Uggs boots.

      --
      Random Thoughts From A Diseased Mind (Not For Dummies)
  3. Re:The real question is by shutdown+-p+now · · Score: 3, Funny

    Yes.

  4. To be fair to MS by Space+cowboy · · Score: 4, Interesting

    They at least are showing there is more than one way to develop a touch-enabled and touch-optimised smartphone. I'm on the fence as to whether it's the correct UI for the desktop, but anything that makes life simpler for the few relatives still holding out and not going Mac is a boon to me.

    Redmond definitely didn't "photocopy" this UI, and I like the look of it - fresh, well thought out, and novel. You're not taking away my iPhone just yet, though :)

    Simon

    --
    Physicists get Hadrons!
  5. Re:Time-out? by shutdown+-p+now · · Score: 3, Informative

    It will expire on 3/11/2012. So 6 months, as usual for Windows pre-releases.

  6. Walled garden by Adrian+Lopez · · Score: 4, Informative

    Too bad software made for Windows 8's default "Metro" interface will only be available through Microsoft's App Store. Win32 programs will still be available from other sources, but Metro apps will not.

    --
    "In prison you just have to shut your eyes and take it. Here you have to shut your eyes and give it."
  7. Re:"Metro." They did this before. by ADRA · · Score: 3, Interesting

    This think of this as a good thing. All native desktop environments are going to the big harry fad of tablet computing. WHEN the fad fizzles out and people stop buying consumption devices and companies realize that they have to to start making -productivity- tools again, their desktop platforms will be dead and anyone developing interesting and usable UI systems will be doing so on the web instead.

    --
    Bye!
  8. Yeah, except it wasn't by SmallFurryCreature · · Score: 3, Interesting

    Maybe if you got your head out of MS fanboy land for a while you would have noticed that the general opinion about KDE4, Gnome 3 and Unity is NEGATIVE on slashdot. There was no praise and now that even the old stable desktop gnome has gone there is a lot of protest.

    So your idea of funny is that people who protest about useless gunk on Linux desktops also complain about useless gunk on the Windows desktop...

    Don't quit your day job to do standup... oh you don't have a day job. Funny that.

    --

    MMO Quests are like orgasms:

    You may solo them, I prefer them in a group.