Windows 8 Consumer Preview Released

Finally the long awaited Consumer Preview of Windows 8 has now been made available for download. ISO images of both 32 and 64 bit versions can be downloaded from the links below. Also remember that this build of Windows 8 is not a final product and as such may have bugs or other quirks that can cause the system to crash or applications to hang.

Windows 8 Consumer Preview Main Page

Windows 8 Consumer Preview ISO Images

First impressions of the release point to some styling inconsistencies and annoyances with the new interface. One user encountered three different scrollbar styles and found the lack of a Start Menu compared to the new ‘Charm’ menu frustrating. Whilst others find it very difficult to efficiently multi task as they have to constantly enter and exit the Metro UI by putting the mouse at the bottom or top of the screen. Of course many others like the new Metro interface which seems to work very well on touch based computers. On the other hand such a drastic change could be alienating traditional desktop and laptop users who do not have access to a touchscreen and therefore cannot make the most of the new Metro UI.