Windows 8 Consumer Preview officially released, explained, detailed
Today, Microsoft released the Consumer Preview of Windows 8. The Pocketables crew and I have posted numerous articles about the operating system because, frankly, we're stoked.
At today's event, the software giant officially unveiled Windows 8's required system specifications and the Windows Store. But let's start with the specs – I know there are a few of you out there who are dying to know what devices you can throw this on.
First off, your device has to be running an x86 processor, as ARM devices will have to have their own special installation of Windows 8. Providing that your device has an x86 processor clocked at a speed of at least 1GHz, you'll also need at least 1GB of RAM for the 32-bit version (2GB for 64); 16GB or 20GB of internal storage for 32- and 64-bit, respectively; a DirectX 9 GPU with WDDM 1.0 support; and a screen with 1024 x 768 resolution for Metro.
If your device has at least the specs listed above, then you're all good to run Windows 8 and its new Windows Store. The Windows Store is the only place you'll be able to purchase and install applications for the Metro side of 8, or the entirety of Windows when ARM devices ship. The coolest part about the Store, though, is that your device will only download the version of the app that's compatible with your system. Pretty neat!
All in all, Windows 8 looks awesome. I'm going to see if I can't install the Consumer Preview in a partition on my computer so I can experience some of the new features that will make their way to devices that we'll cover eventually.
Will you be trying out the Consumer Preview?
[The Verge | Building Windows 8]
