Will Windows 8 Beta be called the Windows 8 Consumer Preview?

Posted by Onuora Amobi on January 23, 2012 in User Experience, Windows 8 Beta, Windows 8 Builds, Windows 8 Consumer Preview, Windows 8 Development, Windows 8 News, Windows 8 Pre-Beta | 9 Comments
Windows 8 Consumer Preview

Windows 8 Consumer Preview

Building upon something noticed by Paul Thurrott a while ago, Mary Jo Foley has a really interesting post out today.

In it, she speculates that Windows 8 Beta might end up being called the Windows 8 Consumer Preview.

She quotes Windows Direct of Consumer PR, Janelle Poole who said the following:

“We haven’t talked about the release date and we generally don’t. We are talking milestone to milestone, so for us right now we’re talking about the next milestone being the consumer preview happening in late February.”

Paul Thurrott speculates that the order may go this way:

  1. Windows 8 Developer Preview
  2. Windows 8 Consumer Preview
  3. Windows 8 Enterprise Preview

The name may be more appropriate for the software release due to the fact that it technically will not be a Beta release.

In a typical Beta, the software is released and users/developers get to chime in about bugs, things they like or don't like. Microsoft would then take the feedback and make strategic changes before the final release.

We have no indication that this time around, Microsoft is looking for feedback. It seems that they are just revealing or previewing the software for different audiences.

Source

Two questions for you.

What do you think of the naming (Windows 8 Developer Preview)?

Do you feel Microsoft cares about your Windows 8 Design feedback?

Join the forum discussion on this post

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Tags: Microsoft, Windows 8 beta, Windows 8 Consumer Preview

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  • Golds

    Windows Consumer Preview PREMIUM!!!

  • Nathan Brookwood

    Consumer Preview Edition sounds fine to me. It's consistent with the " preview edition" name architecture established with the "Developer Preview Edition," and clearly indicates that the audience is consumers, as opposed to developers or enterprise users.

  • http://twitter.com/Tracemann Tracy Verlin

    Almost sounds as if there will be no RC's. Are they that confident?

  • Huizhe2

    What's in a name. A pig with lipstick must still be called a pig and rose by any other name would smell as sweet. Product design is on the same level: a beautiful machine and an ugly machine with the same guts do the same jobs. If all there is to differentiate the two is looks and price -- same goes for prostitutes, I believe -- then those who pay extra for the snob appeal are pretentious fools (IMHO). 

  • http://markcarruthers.blogspot.com/ Mark Carruthers

    What happens to those of use who mistakenly installed the developer preview over their Win 7?  Will it ultimately leave us with having to purchase the OS?

  • Dan Dar3

    Windows 8 Preview will do just fine.

  • guest

    alpha beta gamma preview.

  • Ethan Howard

    I think Microsoft might not want to here all the negative comments right now.  windows 8 IS better.  People sometimes are just too stubborn for change

  • Indra Nawawi Daeng Parani

    Dear Onuora,

    I've waited for such a long time for your newly developed Windows Preview releases and still the vendor said "No New Windows Stock Available at this moment." Guessing, Speculating, and making options in a simple mathematical tools is the most effective strategy to speed our brain. Those three words are fine on normal environment and any words will do, for your team is the only creator for Windows in the world now.
    Looking back through all my computing experiences from the beginning of Microsoft Operating systems releases, Microsoft has done a lot of good care on the services and I hope it'll stay this way. Thank you.