In February, Microsoft lent Wired this reference tablet running the Windows 8 Consumer Preview.Photo:Ariel Zambelich
Windows Division President Steven Sinofsky announced Monday that a near-final version of Windows 8, dubbed the “Windows 8 Release Preview,” will be available the first week of June. Sinofsky made the announcement at the Windows 8 Developer Days event in Japan, and Microsoft confirmed the release through its Build Window 8 Twitter account.
The June release preview will follow two previous releases: the developer preview released in September 2011, and the public consumer preview released in February. More than one million people downloaded the consumer preview within the first day of its release, according to Microsoft.
When contacted by Wired, Microsoft declined to release further details about the release preview, so it’s unclear how it will differ from the consumer preview. We can, however, expect that the June release will have fewer rough edges. And according to a Windows Store for developers blog post, the release preview’s Windows Store will accept app submissions from developers in 38 markets — an increase of 33 from the existing five markets. Microsoft will also expand the number of market-specific app catalogs, from five to 26.
Windows 8 is a huge bet for Microsoft: The Metro interface is a significant divergence from the company’s previous desktop OS, and Windows 8 is the company’s first serious foray into a touch-based tablet OS. (Windows 7 tablets were not optimized for a multitouch experience.)
There’s still no confirmed retail release date for Windows 8, but reports point to an October release.
Earlier this month, Microsoft did announce its three Windows 8 editions, including Windows RT for ARM processor-based tablets.
you can download the Windows 8 consumer preview while you wait for the release preview and finally, the full release.
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