Windows 8 - News & Updates

[mmadhankumar]

Its official: Windows 8 launching on 26 October

Microsoft has announced in a blog post that its next-gen operating system tailor made for shifting from personal computers to smartphones and tablets will be available on 26 October.

Windows unit boss Steven Sinofsky announced at Microsoft’s annual sales meeting that customers will be able to get Windows 8 – whether in upgrade fashion or on a new PC – starting on October 26th. Earlier this month at the Microsoft Worldwide Partner Conference, Tami Reller told attendees Windows 8 would be available in October. But now everyone has a specific date to mark on their calendars.

It “is simply the biggest deal for this company in at least 17 years,” Microsoft chief Mr Steve Ballmer said last week, referring to the time since the launch of the game-changing Windows 95 operating system.

Source: Windows Blog

 

[ssparikshya]

RE: Its official: Windows 8 launching on 26 October

ok i was about to post it

 

[iS THAT ME]

RE: Its official: Windows 8 launching on 26 October

Yeah,m I just dont understand the big fuss about it. Its just another Tablet OS.
Wonder if its that special as it is hyped !

 

[Raviteja]

Windows 8 has reached the RTM milestone

Today, I am excited to announce that Windows 8 has been released to manufacturing (RTM)! This means we’ve completed the product development and testing of the product and have started handing off the final code to our OEM partners. They can now begin preparing new Windows 8 PCs and devices they’ll introduce starting with General Availability. For more on RTM, I suggest reading this blog post from Steven Sinofsky on the Building Windows 8 blog.

So when will folks be able to get their hands on the new Windows 8 RTM code?

People will be able get Windows 8 starting on October 26th either by upgrading for $39.99 or on a new PC or device. And if you buy an eligible Windows 7 PC today, you will be able to purchase an upgrade to Windows 8 Pro for $14.99 (U.S.) through the Windows Upgrade Offer.

However, we have a number of programs that provides various audiences early access to the Windows 8 RTM code to help prepare for Windows 8 as it enters the marketplace this fall:

August 15th: Developers will be able to download the final version of Windows 8 via your MSDN subscriptions.
August 15th: IT professionals testing Windows 8 in organizations will be able to access the final version of Windows 8 through your TechNet subscriptions.
August 16th: Customers with existing Microsoft Software Assurance for Windows will be able to download Windows 8 Enterprise edition through the Volume License Service Center (VLSC), allowing you to test, pilot and begin adopting Windows 8 Enterprise within your organization.
August 16th: Microsoft Partner Network members will have access to Windows 8.
August 20th: Microsoft Action Pack Providers (MAPS) receive access to Windows 8.
September 1st: Volume License customers without Software Assurance will be able to purchase Windows 8 through Microsoft Volume License Resellers.
Please note: if a program you are in is not mentioned, please be patient as dates for Windows 8 RTM code availability for other programs will be communicated when the information becomes available.



For more information on what the RTM of Windows 8 means for businesses including Volume License customers, see this blog post from Erwin Visser on the Windows for your Business Blog. This post, also from Erwin, on how Windows 8 will work in your business is also a good post to read.

On August 15th, developers will be able to visit the Windows Dev Center to get access to all the tools and resources they need including the final build of Visual Studio 2012 to design, build, and sell apps in the Windows Store. Keep your eyes on the Windows Store for developers blog and Windows 8 app developer blog for more information. I am super excited to see the kinds of apps developers build for Windows 8! If you have the Windows 8 Release Preview installed, you can already check out some apps developers have created for Windows 8 today.

In the meantime, if you’d like to give a pre-release version of Windows 8 a test-run, feel free to download the Windows 8 Release Preview! You can also read about my personal experience with the Windows 8 Release Preview here (hint: I put it on all my PCs!).

Source

 

[Mr.Singh]

[Pics] Windows 8

Pics of Windows 8 in my computer.:c
Pics1: Touch Keyboard
[attachment=1484]
Pics2: Start Menu
[attachment=1485]

 

[mmadhankumar]

Lenovo announces ThinkPad Tablet 2, its first Windows 8 tablet

Lenovo has just revealed most of the details on the ThinkPad Tablet 2, a 9.8mm-thick Windows 8 Pro tablet first shown earlier this year in prototype form whose details we published recently. 3G and AT&T LTE models will be available along with an optional digitizer (for "precision" pen input), keyboard, and dock. It'll be a full x86 device — Lenovo calls a "joint effort" with Intel and Microsoft — that clocks in at 1.3 pounds with a 10.1-inch 1366 x 768 display. It's billed to have 10-hour battery life, which would be impressive for a device only 9.8mm thick. The standard model is Wi-Fi-only, but there will also be carrier versions including one with AT&T's LTE connectivity.

When attached to the keyboard dock the device does legitimately feel like a laptop — the dock uses the same keyboard as many of Lenovo's recent ultrabooks, which is a very good thing — but by itself the device is a light and sturdy tablet. The pen input works well, though Windows 8 is so gesture-reliant that occupying your whole hand with a pen can be tough. It's a sturdy and well-made device that's comfortable to hold in one hand, and as we navigated through Windows 8 and a handful of Lenovo's own apps everything was fluid and fast.

Unlike many other blue-chip Windows OEMs, Lenovo has been doing very well recently — and the Tablet 2 will likely be expected to do heated battle with Microsoft's own Surface in the waning months of the year. Look for it to launch in October around the same time as Windows 8 (likely even the same day); pricing is yet to be announced.

Via Verge

 

[mmadhankumar]

Windows 8 Enterprise 90-day trial edition now available for download

Microsoft has released a 90-day evaluation edition for its final version of Windows 8 operating system. This evaluation provides the Enterprise edition of Windows 8 and is available to developers to build and test Windows 8 apps on the final version of Windows 8 and to IT professionals interested in trying Windows 8 Enterprise on behalf of their organization.

This evaluation provides a 90-day trial of Windows 8 Enterprise edition in both 32-bit and 64-bit versions, as ISO images in 11 languages. In order to use this evaluation, you must register and the product must be activated online with Microsoft-hosted activation and validation services. Microsoft does not provide technical support for this software. Windows 8 works on the same hardware that powers Windows 7, but still users need to have a 1GHz or faster processor with 1GB (32-bit) or 2GB (64-bit) of RAM and 20GB of hard disk space as minimum setup requirement.

Things to Know Before You Start:

• The evaluation edition will expire and cannot be upgraded.
• To upgrade, the evaluation must be uninstalled and a non-evaluation version of Windows must be re-installed from your original installation media.
• Consider running the evaluation edition in a virtual environment or installing on a separate hard drive or partition. The will allow you to upgrade your original Windows installation to Windows 8.
• During registration (required) you must login with a Microsoft account and provide your name, e-mail address and country.
• You are required to activate the product online within 10 days after installing.
• Once the evaluation is installed, you cannot upgrade. To revert to a previous version of Windows, you must do a clean install from your original installation media.

To know more about Windows 8 Enterprise 90-day trial edition and to download it click here.

 

[Bapun]

RE: Windows 8 Enterprise 90-day trial edition now available for download

wow, thats good move by microsoft. :tup

 

[Anurag M]

RE: [Pics] Windows 8

I would rather stick to my Windows 7 than using this Crap. LOL.

 

[Bapun]

Windows 8 being released before it is full ready - report

Microsoft is reportedly releasing Windows 8 to the public despite it being full of bugs and other issues. According to Bloomberg, which got the above piece of information from Intel staff member who attended an employee meet with company CEO Paul Otellini, improvements still need to be made to the Windows 8.
Intel however declined to acknowledge Otellini's remarks publicly and has issued the following statement to The Verge:

"Our internal employee meetings are private and we don't disclose details on what may or may not have been said. We continue to see Windows 8 as a significant opportunity across the board and are excited at our prospects in new form factors like Ultrabooks, tablets and convertibles."

Similarly, Microsoft too stood clear of problems in Windows 8 final version, and stated:

"Windows 8 is the most tested, reviewed and ready operating system in Microsoft's history. Microsoft is looking forward to making Windows 8 available to the world on October 26th."

The Redmond-based company is trying to get the first version out next month in order to compete with Apple during the holiday season. Otellini says Microsoft will make improvements to the operating system after it ships to the public, which he believes is the right move.

There is no word on how Microsoft is going to push these updates to the public, but it is expected to be through the company's Windows update system. There are also rumours of an update for Windows 8, codenamed Blue, which is expected to be rolled out within a year as an interim release.

Microsoft Windows 8 is already available to OEMs, developers and other key partners, but the actual nature of Otelleni's comments will only be known after its debuts publicly on October 26.

Windows 8 being released before it is full ready - report | NDTV Gadgets