Windows 8 Beta – Microsoft Shifting Focus on Next Milestone

With the Windows Developer Preview now available to early adopters worldwide, Microsoft is shifting focus on the next step in the evolution of Windows 8, the Beta. 

A member of the Windows team told me at BUILD that work on the Windows 8 Beta has already begun, but of course, there’s still much to do.

Windows 8 Developer Preview Build 8102 Milestone 3 (M3) was made available for download over a week ago, at the BUILD conference. 

Steven Sinofsky, President, Windows and Windows Live Division, announced the launch of the Developer Preview Build of Windows 8 during the day 1 keynote address of the event. 

According to Microsoft Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Steve Ballmer, Windows 8 Developer Preview Build 8102 M3 was downloaded over 500,000 times in less than 24 hours after launch. The software giant has yet to share any additional statistics on how the number of Windows 8 Build 8102 M3 downloads evolved. 

“Phew! We're all back from BUILD and focused on our next milestone,” Sinofsky revealed in the latest post on the ‘Building Windows 8’ blog, dealing with the reengineering of the Windows boot process. 

“It is fair to say we had an awesome time showing everyone Windows 8 in depth and all of our speakers and Microsoft attendees are unbelievable appreciative for the warm reception you gave the product. 

“We know it is early still--a developer preview--and there are lots of questions. We're going to be answering them (…) as we focus on using the Windows Developer Preview (WDP) as a baseline.”

The number of testers that take Windows 8 Developer Preview Build 8102 M3 out for spin is important because it’s directly proportional with the volume of feedback early adopters will generate. 

It will harvest input from testers and the copies of Windows 8 running around the world that will help Microsoft build the first Beta development milestone. 

The company did not provide a release deadline for Windows 8 Beta, and I don’t really expect it to. Since, Windows 8 Developer Preview Build 8102 M3 is set to expire come March 12, 2012, Microsoft will probably serve the Beta ahead of this date. 

A likely candidate for the launch of Windows 8 Beta is CES 2012, in January, an event which will be keynoted by Microsoft’s very own Steve Ballmer, just as was the case for the last few. However, there’s no confirmation of when Windows 8 Beta is planned for launch.

Windows 8 Developer Preview Build 8102 Milestone 3 (M3) is available for download here.

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