April 29, 2012, 7:53 AM —
Microsoft says that so far the Windows 8 Consumer Preview is twice as popular at this point than its predecessor Windows 7 was based on the number of downloads. The company didn't say how many downloads that is, but claimed it is used by millions of people per day.
Meanwhile, the next prerelease version of Windows 8 will be available in about six weeks, inching closer to a final product that is still expected to launch this fall.
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TEST YOURSELF: The Windows 8 Quiz
Microsoft's Windows Chief Steven Sinofsky announced that the Windows 8 Release Preview version will be ready for download the first week of June, with no date specified, according to a tweet on the Building Windows 8 @BuildWindows8 Twitter account.
Sinofsky gave no details about what the difference will be between the Consumer Preview and the Release Preview. He also made no mention of when or if there will be a preview of Windows RT, the version of Windows 8 that will be sold only in combination with hardware that is based on ARM processors.
Is it a toaster? Is it a refrigerator?
