Windows 8 Release Preview Date Slated For First Week of June

For sure, a lot of you will be delighted to know that the pre-release version of Microsoft’s next-gen Windows OS will be made available for download starting this June. Steven Sinofsky, the President of Windows and Windows Live Division, confirmed this upcoming release and he even stated that the Windows 8 ‘Release Preview’ will be the most complete version to date. But this is not the first time for Microsoft to release a preview version of the said operating system. As a matter of fact, the company released the Windows 8 Consumer Preview last February 29th and it will be set to expire on January 15, 2013.

Microsoft has also stated that the official version of the Windows 8 OS will be released sometime within this year. But we’ve heard from unofficial sources that there is a possibility for the next-gen operating system to be released by October 2012. Still, this is yet to be confirmed and the exact date of release is yet to be announced.

Masaki Ida, the spokesman of Microsoft Japan, further revealed that the Release Preview that will be held this June will not be the last. That means that will be a couple more versions that we need to anticipate and these versions will be packed with more enhancements and features. Apparently, these versions will only be released for a time-limited period.

Unlike the previous Windows operating systems, the new Windows 8 will be optimized and reimagined to meet the demands of today’s ever-evolving user experience. For the first time in the history of Windows, this new version will no longer have a Start button on its task bar. Instead, the Start screen will be triggered by clicking or tapping the Start button on the new Charm bar. Design wise, the appearance of the new OS will be similar to Windows Phone as it will be featuring its unique Metro UI with Live Tiles. Apps will be utilized and each app will accessible by clicking on a particular tile. In addition, the operating system will be offered in four versions: Home, Pro, Enterprise and Windows 8 RT. The first three versions will be intended for PCs with x86 and x64 processors while the fourth version will be intended for devices with ARM processors such as tablets.

Microsoft did not reveal much about the Windows 8 Release Preview. What we do know is that it will be presented to the public sometime within the first week of June. Apparently, the latest version will be packed with enhancements and notable changes. But for now, it would be safe for us to guess that the OS will be packed with Internet Explorer 10 for web browsing and it will also highlight its new Windows Task Manager design aside from its new lock screen. The operating system will also showcase its two new user authentication methods. The first method will be called as the ‘picture password’ wherein you will be required to draw gestures on a picture. The second one will be the traditional PIN log-in method wherein you will be prompted to enter your four-digit security pin.