Ready to get a look at Windows 8? The Consumer Preview is now available in 32-bit and 64-bit varieties across multiple languages.
Compared to the Windows 7 preview, it seems Microsoft has greatly simplified the process that sent their servers kicking and screaming last time. The .iso files are available for direct download and the product key is publicly posted on the same page. No need to sign up for an account or sign in to generate a unique key. The provided product key for all languages and versions is: DNJXJ-7XBW8-2378T-X22TX-BKG7J
The system requirements are pretty light and is said to work great on hardware that satisfies Windows 7 requirements.
System requirements:
- Processor: 1 gigahertz (GHz) or faster
- RAM: 1 gigabyte (GB) (32-bit) or 2 GB (64-bit)
- Hard disk space: 16 GB (32-bit) or 20 GB (64-bit)
- Graphics card: Microsoft DirectX 9 graphics device or higher
- To use touch, you need a tablet or monitor that supports multitouch
- To access Windows Store and to download and run apps, you need an active Internet connection and a screen resolution of at least 1024 x 768
- To snap apps, you need a screen resolution of at least 1366 x 768
You can download the beta you want to test out from http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows-8/iso
Happy Leap Day!
You may also find the Microsoft document Windows 8 Consumer Preview Product Guide for Business worth reading.