Windows 8 has been in development for years, and many are wondering when its final version will be released. The main work on the system has already been completed, and in the near future a preliminary release will be available for free download.
Microsoft Corp. (MSFT) will finalize Windows 8 this summer, continuing to pave the way for personal computers and tablets with the new operating system, which will go on sale around October, according to people familiar with the developer schedule. Microsoft will release a "preview release" of Windows 8 to consumers in the first week of June, meaning that the new operating system will actually be released three to four months earlier than the expected release date. Stephen Sinofsky, president of Windows, made the announcement at the spring Tokyo developer conference.
Microsoft is evolving software, which is currently being redesigned and has two types of interface - standard and in the form of panels with applications that are controlled by simple fingertips in full screen mode. In addition to desktop PCs, Windows 8 will also run on tablets and hybrid laptops with touch screens. Unlike previous releases, the current preview release adds Hotmail, SkyDrive, and Messenger apps, along with a host of other programs. Support for multiple monitors has been added and improved, as well as the Aero interface, which the developers plan to abandon in the official version.
Microsoft has also added a custom launch screen and developed a new version of the Internet Explorer browser that now supports Adobe Flash Player by default. It is also worth noting the more optimized work of the system with new software and computer games. However, if you download a preview version, you need to remember that this is only a test instance, which can promise numerous errors in the system.
