Windows 8 reached the RTM stage a little while ago and the final version of Windows 8 has been made available to those with an MSDN or TechNet subscription or a Microsoft Volume Licensing/Software Assurance agreement. In order to get Windows 8 in more hands before its general availability, Microsoft is allowing all IT professionals to download a 90-day evaluation of Windows 8 Enterprise in 32-bit or 64-bit variants.
You can download the x86 and x64 versions of Windows 8 from Microsoft TechNet’s Evaluation Center as part of their Springboard series. It requires signing in with a Windows Live account to get the download. If you have any question, you can refer to the Win8 90-day evaluation FAQ.
Windows 8 minimum system requirements:
- 1 gigahertz (GHz) or faster processor
- 1 gigabyte (GB) RAM (32-bit) or 2 GB RAM (64-bit)
- 20 GB available hard disk space
- 1366 × 768 screen resolution
- Microsoft DirectX 9 graphics device with WDDM driver
- Internet access (fees may apply)
- Microsoft account (LiveID) required for some features
- Some features such as touch and Client Hyper-V may require advanced or Windows 8 certified hardware
- The Windows To Go feature requires advanced hardware. To learn more about USB drives certified for Windows To Go, please visit www.microsoft.com/WindowsToGo.