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How the Windows 8 Developer Preview works on a MacBook Air

Windows 8 Macbook Air

Microsoft released its Windows 8 Developer Preview and free developer tools to the public for download last night. It's intended to help developers start building apps for the forthcoming newest version of Microsoft's operating system. But that won't stop hordes of regular users from installing it anyway, just to get a sneak peek.

We got our hands on a copy of the software and figured that the most compelling system to install it on was a Apple MacBook Air 13-inch running Boot Camp. For the most part, the Windows 8 Developer Preview installed and ran smoothly on the Air despite being the first public build. It's stable enough that I didn't encounter heat issues, the infamous blue-screen of death (yet), or even a single application crash.

There are some key MacBook Air components that Windows 8 didn't recognize, however. These included the speakers, SD card reader, webcam, and Bluetooth, although a sophisticated user could probably tinker with current Windows drivers and get some of them to work. The good news is that the essential ones, such as Wi-Fi, the keyboard, trackpad, and USB ports, worked perfectly.

Click to continue reading How the Windows 8 Developer Preview works on a MacBook Air


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Video: 5-minute highlight reel of the Windows 8 Developer Preview

Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Microsoft, PC / Laptop, Software, Videos,

Yesterday at its Build conference, Microsoft unveiled Windows 8 to the world during the opening keynote. We know that a lot of you don't have the patience to sit through over an hour of presentations, so we've got the short version above. Get a look at all the new Windows 8 developer preview hotness in the five-minute video above. Get a look, and let us know what you think in the comments!


Microsoft Windows 8 Developer Preview launches at BUILD

Windows 8 developer preview

Microsoft has officially launched the Windows 8 Developer Preview at its BUILD conference this morning, with the download actually becoming available later this week in the new Windows Dev Center, but if you're at BUILD, you'll get your copy there. In addition, they've also announced the Windows Store - yep, it's pretty much like the Mac App Store, but, for Windows. The store will include Metro-style apps (think Windows Phone 7 UI) as well as the more traditional Windows apps that you're used to. We'll be going hands-on with the Windows 8 Developer Preview in just a bit, and will report back with our thoughts!


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