Windows 8

What is Windows 8 Consumer Preview?

Windows 8 Consumer Preview is a prerelease version of Windows 8 that focuses on people and apps and gives you powerful new ways to use social technologies to connect with the people who are important to you. As they day windows 8 is windows reimagined. Windows 8 Consumer Preview is built on the foundation of Windows 7.

Windows 8 Install Requirements ?

Windows 8 requires 1 Gigahertz processor, minimum 1 GB of RAM, 16 GB of hard disk space. The minimum RAM requirements are 2 GB in case you would like to install the 64-bit version of Windows 8. If your computer does not specify the criteria then you will a error message like the one shown in the image below.

New Features In Windows 8 Consumer Preview

Since the launch of windows 8 developer preview, there are many new features that have now added to the consumer preview and they are as follows. Windows 8 Consumer Preview event in Barcelona recently that was attended by partners from Europe and around the world, the company shared some key new updates in the Windows 8 Consumer Preview:
Broad range of product changes and improvements. Since the Developer Preview in September, designed to preview the programming platform, Windows 8 has progressed across every dimension. From completing the user experience for touch, keyboard and mouse to refining the development platform, the Consumer Preview improves performance, quality and reliability across all subsystems. With the added features, it represents a more complete view of the capabilities of Windows 8.
Windows Store with new apps. The Windows 8 Consumer Preview marks the beta opening of the Windows Store, which is filled with a variety of new Metro style apps from both third-party developers and Microsoft. During the Consumer Preview, these apps are available to try and experience at no cost to users. The Windows Store will offer personalized recommendations, and Windows 8 gives users the ability to take their apps and settings with them across multiple PCs, making it easy to discover and try new apps while offering developers the greatest opportunity of any platform.
Connecting to the cloud across Windows-based PCs and Windows Phone 7. The Windows 8 Consumer Preview offers seamless integration with the content people care about across their Web services. An optional additional sign-on with a Microsoft account provides access to a host of features, including the ability to roam all settings, use cloud storage, communicate with email, calendar and contacts, and connect to a broad range of services. Your connection to the cloud works across your Windows-based PCs and your Windows 7 phones.
Internet Explorer 10 Platform Preview 5. The best way to experience the Web on Windows is with Internet Explorer 10. The browser has been re-imagined to create a new experience designed specifically for Windows 8devices. It provides an edge-to-edge user interface that is all about less browser and more Web. Fast and fluid, Internet Explorer is hardware-accelerated to enable Web performance.

Can I Upgrade From Vista, Windows 7 or Windows 8 Developer Preview To Windows 8 Developer Preview?

Yes, is the answer to all the questions above, but please see the information below on what you can keep while you do the upgrade from old windows os version to windows 8 consumer preview version.

From Where To Download Windows 8?

In order to download windows 8 consumer preview, go to this page and for the product keys head to this page. When you download the windows 8 from the link we just mentioned you will download small 5 MB windows 8 setup assistant which will again check your computer hardware requirement and will tell you which of your currently installed apps are compatible and which ones are not as shown in the image below. 

Will Your Existing Software’s Installed Work In Windows 8?

In order to find out whether your existing software which are currently installed on your computer work in windows 8, check out this page and search for the software which you trying to compatible with windows 8 as shown in the image below.

or another way as we already mentioned that you can download the windows 8 consumer preview setup utility from here and run it generate the software which may not work in windows 8 as shown in the image below.

How To Get Windows 8 Consumer Preview Product or License Keys?

Some keys you can try when you install windows 8 consumer preview are
JGH7R-D6N3C-Y383J-FMJ8W-F3F98
or
NF32V-Q9P3W-7DR7Y-JGWRW-JFCK8
or
DNJXJ-7XBW8-2378T-X22TX-BKG7J
or refer to the keys mentioned in the image below for different language versions of windows 8 developer preview or simply go to this page to get the new keys for windows 8 consumer preview trail.

Can I Directly Download The ISO Image of Windows 8?

Yes, you can microsoft has now allowed to download the ISO image directly from their servers for those who need without the regular hassle of windows 8 consumer setup utility. Go to this page to download the ISO file.

Size Of Windows 8 Setup?

Windows 8 is of different size when it comes to 32 bit or 64 bit version, see the table below to know the size.

Different Ways To Install Windows 8 Consumer Preview?

Incase you want to know how to install windows 8 consumer preview with USB drive, read the guide by RedmondPie here or if you want to install windows 8 consumer preview on Virtual Machine then follow this guide by PC World.