Microsoft to release a Windows 8 preview build at WPC 2011 next week?

By Tom Warren, on 5th Jul 11 10:50 am with 31 Comments

Microsoft may be preparing to release an early pre-beta copy of Windows 8 as soon as next week.

The software giant will kick start its Worldwide Partner Conference on Monday July 11 with a special vision keynote from CEO Steve Ballmer. Microsoft will outline its vision and strategy for the next financial year and product roadmaps for 2012. Rumors on Tuesday suggest that the company will release a pre-beta version of Windows 8 next week. “At the WPC11 – Microsoft will release a CTP build of Windows 8,” reads a tweet from Twitter account @MSFTtm, who has previously shared accurate details on Windows 8 builds. The suggestion might not be far off either.

Microsoft previously used its PDC 2008 conference as a method to unleash a pre-release version of Windows 7. The company then delivered a public beta at CES 2009. Microsoft is widely expected to release a public beta of Windows 8 at its BUILD developer conference in September this year. If the company is planning an early pre-beta of Windows 8 before its BUILD developer conference then WPC, a place where Microsoft’s biggest partners convene, would be a wise choice. The choice would also be rather untraditional and unusual as the company tends to share public bits of its next operating systems with developers initially.

Whatever Microsoft has planned for WPC 2011 next week, WinRumors understands that the company will be talking Windows 8. Two company insiders, wishing to remain anonymous, have indicated that Microsoft will detail Windows 8 “substantially”. The company is also likely to share a second “building Windows 8″ video. Microsoft first introduced Windows 8 at the D9 conference in early June. The company made an initial “Building Windows 8 video #1″ available as part of a series of videos that will be released as the BUILD conference draws closer.

GP007

Hmmm, This is interesting, a CTP now which will probably be limited in some form and then a more open public beta in Sept at Build?
http://thelonghornblog.blogspot.com/ Angel of Despair

MSFTtm is like captain obvious, lol
- http://www.winrumors.com Tom W
  
  Why’s it obvious?
- http://thelonghornblog.blogspot.com/ Angel of Despair
  
  Many sources (including wzor) was told about CTP month ago.
  And now, when WPC is in a next week, he posting same info as “confirmation”, aha.
  This is really funny.
  
  No problems Tom, you posting nice stuff anyway.
Anonymous

They might be doing this so the public gets used to the UI, because this is an extremely radical departure from the traditional desktop.
- GP007
  
  On the desktop it is, dependong on the work being done. But on tablets etc then not really.
- http://www.facebook.com/Vannos Sebastian Gsellmann
  
  “They might be doing this so the public gets used to the UI”
  
  I dont think so. CTPs aren’t downloaded by “the public”, they’re downloaded by early adopters and enthusiasts. They’re usually provided so people can get used to new tech under the hood, APIs etc.
- http://www.facebook.com/Vannos Sebastian Gsellmann
  
  “They might be doing this so the public gets used to the UI”
  
  I dont think so. CTPs aren’t downloaded by “the public”, they’re downloaded by early adopters and enthusiasts. They’re usually provided so people can get used to new tech under the hood, APIs etc.
http://www.Nave360.com Sebastian Gorgon

You said it was unlikely the other day lol
http://techtt.hassantt.com Hassan Voyeau

How do you get access to the preview build? do you have to sign up?
- http://profiles.google.com/carlosrfonseca Carlos Ribeiro da Fonseca
  
  Either you have to be a partner or maybe, and I’m guessing here, have a TechNet of MSDN subscription. It’s not a completely wild guess, because TechNet or MSDN subscribers usually do have early access to betas, release candidates and RTMs.
- http://profiles.google.com/carlosrfonseca Carlos Ribeiro da Fonseca
  
  Either you have to be a partner or maybe, and I’m guessing here, have a TechNet of MSDN subscription. It’s not a completely wild guess, because TechNet or MSDN subscribers usually do have early access to betas, release candidates and RTMs.
- http://profiles.google.com/carlosrfonseca Carlos Ribeiro da Fonseca
  
  Either you have to be a partner or maybe, and I’m guessing here, have a TechNet of MSDN subscription. It’s not a completely wild guess, because TechNet or MSDN subscribers usually do have early access to betas, release candidates and RTMs.
CM

Wonder if the whole affair will be yet another nail in the forehead of the best-of-the-best developers and another mail in the coffin overall, just another bunch of the clueless parading around HTML5/Javascript as their latest false messiah?
CM

Wonder if the whole affair will be yet another nail in the forehead of the best-of-the-best developers and another mail in the coffin overall, just another bunch of the clueless parading around HTML5/Javascript as their latest false messiah?
- Bburke33609
  
  CM sends mail to coffins LOL
- ralf
  
  haha
- http://www.facebook.com/richeymeister Mark Richey
  
  “You’ve got nail!”
- T. Covenant
  
  I suppose it’s nice knowing that a typo could so brighten your day, but beyond that, CM has a point. Check out the following, spend some further time on the site overall (the site of a past Silverlight product manager) and see if you’re still so easily amused: http://www.riagenic.com/archives/641
  
  If so, fill us in on how, because the whole nightmare’s making me miserable and I know I’m not alone…
- T. Covenant
  
  I suppose it’s nice knowing that a typo could so brighten your day, but beyond that, CM has a point. Check out the following, spend some further time on the site overall (the site of a past Silverlight product manager) and see if you’re still so easily amused: http://www.riagenic.com/archives/641
  
  If so, fill us in on how, because the whole nightmare’s making me miserable and I know I’m not alone…
- appie flappie
  
  And maybe you should try to read some other sources who are saying that Silveright is going nowhere. It will be all part of one universal platform and will make sure that every app wil be working on WP7, W8 and Xbox 360. If you program in silverlight or html5 or c++, it will all be possible.
  Read this: http://arstechnica.com/microsoft/news/2011/06/windows-8-for-software-developers-the-longhorn-dream-reborn.ars
- T. Covenant
  
  I suppose it’s nice knowing that a typo could so brighten your day, but beyond that, CM has a point. Check out the following, spend some further time on the site overall (the site of a past Silverlight product manager) and see if you’re still so easily amused: http://www.riagenic.com/archives/641
  
  If so, fill us in on how, because the whole nightmare’s making me miserable and I know I’m not alone…
Me

Ohh Damn I can’t still believe they really did this, Windows 8 sucks so bad aarrrghh WHY? They said they would build a totally different Windows, that they would start all over again… Now they came up with this piece of sh*t. What about the desktops and laptops? It’s stupid to do those movements with the mouse like place the mouse over the right border, wait, the panel show up, select Start… and this stupid mosaic screen, it has nothing to do with desktops and laptops, WHY THE HELL they thought it would be good to do a unified system? It’s ridiculous they should’ve developed a Tablets version and a version to PCs. I can’t describe how bad I feel, now I’m gonna have to wait 3-4 years more to upgrade my pc DAMN!!!!!
Me

Ohh Damn I can’t still believe they really did this, Windows 8 sucks so bad aarrrghh WHY? They said they would build a totally different Windows, that they would start all over again… Now they came up with this piece of sh*t. What about the desktops and laptops? It’s stupid to do those movements with the mouse like place the mouse over the right border, wait, the panel show up, select Start… and this stupid mosaic screen, it has nothing to do with desktops and laptops, WHY THE HELL they thought it would be good to do a unified system? It’s ridiculous they should’ve developed a Tablets version and a version to PCs. I can’t describe how bad I feel, now I’m gonna have to wait 3-4 years more to upgrade my pc DAMN!!!!!
- Sdfs
  
  uneducated retard.
  
  what you saw is second interface for tablets, for desktops/laptops there is still the same but slightly more modern interface.
- http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=715591433 Barry Allott
  
  I think you need to calm down….
- Angry Adam
  
  I disagree. Let’s get angry. This interface is trash.
- Gigantic697
  
  It’s the device interface. It’s switchable to the desktop interface (update of win 7) for desktop use. But why read when you can’t rant about sh*t you know nothing about. We’ll done children.
- Galpha
  
  yes, gigantic is right this was a stupid comment to be made but it does sort of raise the good old Microsoft moto “if at first we succeed lets try again and fuck it up bad” … or something to this nature yall know what i mean. Seriously though i frankly see no reason to release a new os to begin with it is stupid, release a service pack and get over it, xp went through 3 of em and it is still usable why. Nothing to do with the os but… the “new xbox 360″ lets sell u the same old but make it look and sound cool. Think this may be similer? sorta following apples lead it would seam releasing a new product all the time that is just a tiny tweak of the last. Hell i donno i have not really read much bout win8 yet so i cant say much bout the os itself just pointing out Microsoft’s clear disregard for what its customers think and pure blindness to failure…wtf is a zune XD
Penguin386

Will Windows 8 run on my XP system without hardware upgrades? That was Windows Vista’s downfall. If Windows 8 pulls another Vista, then Microsoft is screwed.
- Galpha
  
  But that would be just like them wouldn’t it… Windows ME… teehee XD
  
  it was like bad good bad good (me, xp, vista, win7)…. so naturally win8 has to be shit right lol again like i said up above i am outa date on the whole thing so this is an opinion post lol