Install Windows 8 beta

Microsoft's Windows 8 beta is now available as a free download, which means that it's time to figure out how to install it.

Officially called the Consumer Preview, the Windows 8 beta is actually quite simple to install. There are some requirements, though. Most Windows 7 computers ought to be able to handle Windows 8. You'll want to have:

a 1 gigahertz or faster processor

1 gig of RAM for 32-bit or 2 gigs for 64-bit

a 16 gig hard drive for 32-bit, or 20 gigs for 64-bit

a graphics card that supports Microsoft DirectX 9 or higher

There are also some extras that won't work without certain specifics. As shocking as this sounds, the touch features will require a touch screen monitor or tablet. Accessing the Windows Store requires an Internet connection, obviously, but also a screen resolution of at least 1024 x 768. And to Snap apps, which lets you split the screen between two apps, you'll need a resolution of at least 1366 x 768.

To get started, go to preview.windows.com.

The first is simple. Click "Get it now," enter your e-mail and country if you'd like, and begin downloading the installer. It will automatically detect the appropriate version for your system. From there, you can either overwrite your cu... [Read more]

(Credit: Screenshot by Jason Parker/CNET)

The Mountain Lion Developer Preview came out just a couple of weeks ago and today's announcement for Windows 8 Consumer Preview now puts both of the major next-generation operating systems on display for all to see. CNET Editors Seth Rosenblatt and Jason Parker went through and answered some key questions at this very early stage of the game. While neither operating system is close to finished, we put up some of the known features and examined reasons people might be enticed by one or the other.

Does one have a more compelling ecosystem?

Jason: Many of the new features in the Mountain Lion developer preview demonstrated how desktops and iOS devices will play well together. Features like the ability to view, create, and share documents between computers and mobile devices will be dead simple. Upon launching an app (Keynote for example) you're immediately presented with a handy list of your latest presentations synced to the cloud, making it easy to pick up where you left off on any device. You even have the ability to use AirPlay mirroring. This means a presentation made on your Mac could be presented on an Apple TV-equipped big screen monitor at a business meeting using your iPhone--all without ever having to save, import, export, e-mail, or anything. Your work is simply everywhere you need it to be.

... [Read more]

I'm about to discuss an idea currently couched in fantasy, but one that's probably occurred to more than one Windows, Xbox, or Windows Phone user already. The cards seem laid out. The coincidences and similarities seem too great to ignore. Also, there's this: we're talking about one company, Microsoft, and its products.

Here we go: could Windows 8 be on the next Xbox?

A new Xbox is likely to be on its way--maybe in just a couple of years--and rumors have flown regarding its capabilities, processing power, and even whether or not it will have physical discs. Of all of these Xbox rumors, one I don't hear discussed at all is the possibility of Windows 8 being the next Xbox's core operating system.

As weird as it sounds, it's a theoretically logical concept. Here's why.

Windows 8.

(Credit: Microsoft)

Metro UI already looks the new 360 dashboard. A graphical language is clearly being laid out by Microsoft, and I don't think it's just window dressing. Squint, and Windows 8 on a PC looks an awful lot like an Xbox 360. At Microsoft's press event, I was even checking for a Gamer Score. Apps are easily managed on the Metro UI, and that style of tile-based app management is starting to come into play with the Kinect and when dealing with the Xbox's growing collection of apps--... [Read more]

(Credit: Screenshot by Jaymar Cabebe/CNET)

Apparently, new phones, tablets, and other hardware aren't making the only news coming out of Barcelona, Spain, this week, as popular social discovery engine StumbleUpon has just released its newest Android app.

A featured developer at the Google Android booth, StumbleUpon got to show off its updated Android app as well as its new logo and color scheme at Mobile World Congress.

If you're not familiar with StumbleUpon, it's basically a Web site that helps you discover new Web sites. It gets to know you through your profile and your Web browsing activity, then uses the data it gathers to recommend other sites for you to visit. And it works fantastically, I might add, whether you're using it on your desktop browser, phone, or tablet.

In the updated Android app, StumbleUpon has clearly gone to great lengths to make the stumbling experience even simpler for its users. First, the Home screen shows off more visually appealing thumbnails for each category. You can either tap one or swipe right to begin stumbling. There's also an Explore box where you can type in an interest in order to experience more targeted stumbling.

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(Credit: Screenshot by Rick Broida/CNET)

How I envy today's parents of young kids. Not too long ago, my family trips always included bulging, back-breaking backpacks stuffed with children's books.

Now, you can pack a 1.3-pound iPad (or an even lighter iPhone or iPod Touch) with enough books to go from here to there and back again.

And not just static reproductions of kids' classics, but animated, interactive titles both new and original. Case in point: Disney Digital Books just introduced The Lion King: Timon's Tale and Tangled: Storybook Deluxe for iOS. They're priced at $4.99 and $6.99, respectively.

The Lion King retells the story of the movie with Timon as narrator. Most pages incorporate an animated clip from the movie, but as a backdrop to the accompanying text of story, not an awkward interstitial between pages.

The interactive elements include simple, kid-friendly actions like drawing a chalk mark here or swiping a bird there. There's even a point when the reader is asked to roar like Mufasa, and that roar is immediately played back as a component of the scene. Nice.

Tangled feels like a more traditional storybook, w... [Read more]

After only 15 minutes of play, I'm already disoriented and feeling queasy but I'm going back in; Hexagon is both dizzying and addicting.

Developed by Terry Cavanagh (known for VVVVVV), Hexagon throws you in an orbital endurance run where you must guide a triangle around a (you guessed it) hexagon and dodge collapsing obstacles. Sounds simple, right? Try surviving for even 20 seconds on your first couple of tries.

Appropriately named, Hexagon looks like an arcade game from the '80s.

(Credit: Screenshot by Eddie Cho/CNET)

Each stage is separated by 10-second runs and themes itself after a shape. Each level throws faster, more-complex patterns to try and crush your three-sided friend. In addition to collapsing environments, Hexagon adds a confusing twist by rotating your view in sporadic clockwise and counterclockwise directions. It's like playing pixelated labyrinth through a kaleidoscope. Playing in a window was hard enough, but playing full screen admittedly made my stomach churn a bit.

Hexagon will throw complex shapes like cinnamon rolls to keep you on your toes.

(Credit: Screenshot by Eddie Cho/CNET)

But don't let the merciless description turn you aw... [Read more]

It's become very fashionable lately to talk down the personal computer. HP infamously flirted with dropping out of the PC business before backtracking under a new CEO, and a Dell executive recently said, "We're no longer a PC company, we're an IT company." Add two years of non-stop iPad fever (and the resultant tablet gold rush), and that old-fashioned keyboard-touchpad-screen device sitting on your lap suddenly seems very out of style.

That may be why at today's Windows 8 press conference at WMC, and in previous Windows 8 previews, the emphasis has been on the touch and tablet targeted features of the new operating system, with less attention paid to how everyday PC users will benefit (much as I suggested last year during the first wave of Windows 8 previews).

Naturally, it's very trendy to want to jump on the touch/tab... [Read more]

(Credit: Aloysius Low/CNET)

What is Microsoft releasing today? Starting today, you can download the Consumer Preview beta version of Windows 8 (as well as the beta of Windows Server 8 and the beta of Visual Studio 11). The Consumer Preview version is free and available to the general public to try out.

Where can I download the beta? Right here from Microsoft: http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows-8/download. And here from Download.com: CNET's full first take on Windows 8 beta

Does that include the ARM version? No, here's no ARM-based beta you can download today. Microsoft has said it will make preloaded Windows/ARM devices available to developers soon.

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• Windows 8 on Intel is unlike ARM in crucial way, Microsoft confirms
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• How to install Windows 8 beta
• The Lytro Camera's brand new features
... [Read more]

Pin It (Credit: Screenshot by Jason Cipriani/CNET)

Leap day: what better time to launch a new iPhone app, especially if the app's name happens to be Leap? Leap uses challenges to motivate users to accomplish various tasks. By using the "pics or it didn't happen" mantra, users are only awarded points for pics they upload of a completed task. The challenges can be serious in nature, or something to create some laughs.

Once you have uploaded a photo to a challenge, you will earn a point and your competitors (friends) will be notified of your latest post. If they feel you have cheated in any way, they can mark your photo as a foul. If half of the challengers mark it as a foul, it won't count. You're not only motivated to beat your friends, but you are also held accountable.

While some may view the gamification of just about anything you can think of as a fad, there is something to be said about appealing to the competitive side of people. By challenging friends to go hipst... [Read more]

How do you improve a staple function like copy and paste? Simple. Make it smarter.

Clipboard is a content-centric utility designed for copying and saving content on the Web. With Clipboard, you can copy and paste custom elements from any Web page, whether it's images, articles, videos, or a combination of all three. No more worrying about precise highlights and tedious Ctrl+A, Ctrl+C, Ctrl+V, etc. Simply register and log in to the Clipboard site. Clipboard will show you a quick tutorial video on how to add Clipboard to your bookmark bar.

Clipboard allows you to preview your clip and add tags for easy reference.

(Credit: Screenshot by Eddie Cho/CNET)

Don't want to clip an entire page? Clipboard allows you to highlight and keep only the parts you want to save.

(Credit: Screenshot by Eddie Cho/CNET)

After finding an item that you want to save, simply click the Clipboard button from your bookmarks bar. When you move your mouse pointer over a movie clip, image, or text, Clipboard will automatically highlight a section to copy. If you have a mouse wheel, you can scroll up and down to expand your selection. For longer articles, Clipboard also leaves the scroll bar intact to select offscreen content. When you're done, simply click the object. If you make a mistake, just hit Esc.

Clipboard will then open a new window, ... [Read more]

New sharing options in Snagit for Mac let you post directly to social networking sites like Twitter and Facebook.

(Credit: Screenshot by Jason Parker/CNET)

Your Mac comes with some handy options for taking a quick screen grab, but sometimes you need a bit more. Most Mac users will recognize the Command-Shift-3 keystroke to take a screenshot of the whole screen or Command-Shift-4 to capture a selected area of your screen. But often you'll want to tell a story with that screenshot, and that's where popular image capture app Snagit comes in.

Snagit for Mac just had a major upgrade to version 2.0, and while it still hasn't reached feature parity with the Windows version, it's clear the folks at TechSmith are slowly ramping up the effort.

Snagit for Mac 2.0 is available now, adding new features to bring it closer to the Windows version. For those new to Snagit, it offers an elegant drawerlike interface that lets you mouse over a small tab on the side of your screen and quickly get to the screen capture tools you need. Before you capture your image, you get several options for how you want the capture to look (an entire scrollable Web page or just a region of the screen, as examples).

Once you have captured the information you want, you can switch to the main interface window, which offers tools for adding arrows t... [Read more]

Microsoft's Steven Sinofsky discussing Windows 8 at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona.

(Credit: Aloysius Low/CNET)

Microsoft today held a jam-packed session at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain, detailing Windows 8 and its plans for the future.

Throughout Microsoft's nearly two-hour showcase, the company often used the term "fast and fluid." Steven Sinofsky, Microsoft's president of the Windows Division, as well as a few of his colleagues, slung around the term to show how seamlessly Windows 8 performed tasks, like opening applications and letting users interact with multiple apps at the same time.

Related stories

• Windows 8 Beta: Hands-on with Microsoft's tablet-friendly OS
• Windows 8 on ARM will lack certain manageability features
• FAQ: Windows 8

The speed and fluidity of Windows 8's new design, along with the many differences consumers will find in the operating system, are part of what Sinof... [Read more]

One of the many free apps available in the Windows Store in Windows 8 Consumer Preview.

(Credit: Aloysius Low/CNET)

Microsoft just went a long way toward getting Windows 8 Consumer Preview users to download boatloads of apps.

The company said today at its address at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain, that all applications in its Windows Store will be available for free. There is just one catch, however: the deal will only be available in the Windows 8 Consumer Preview.

Related stories

• Windows 8 Beta: Hands-on with Microsoft's tablet-friendly OS
• Windows 8 on ARM will lack certain manageability features
• How the two flavors of Windows 8 will be different

Microsoft didn't say how many applications are currently available in its Windows Store, but did point out that more titles will be coming to the marketplace over time. Once the official retail version of Windows 8 ... [Read more]

Tour the first Windows 8 beta (screenshots)

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Microsoft unveiled the Windows 8 beta today in Barcelona, Spain. If you're excited about interactive tiles for your apps, the Windows Store, or the future of Windows, Microsoft has made this "Consumer Preview" available for free--just as they did with Windows 7.

You can download it from ... [Read more]

Windows 8 beta unifies desktop and tablet--but will people like it?

Microsoft pulled back much of the scaffolding and secrecy surrounding Windows 8 today at Mobile World Congress. I've been using the Windows 8 beta (download), officially known as the Windows 8 Consumer Preview, for the past week, and it's by far the most integrated and capable operating system Microsoft has ever put out. The question is, will enough people care?

There's a phenomenal amount of change here to discuss, but if you're looking for a quick summary: Windows 8 is a breeze to use. It's tricked out with social networking and synchronization, it's robust enough to handle Photoshop, it gracefully moves from touch to keyboard and mouse, and it's got some top-notch security.

Despite what Microsoft is calling strong interest from hardware manufacturers and developers, however, its impact is still uncertain at best.

Tour the first Windows 8 beta (screenshots)

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