The Windows 8 Consumer Preview is here!

It’s February 29! The Windows 8 Consumer Preview is here: https://preview.windows.com.

We also encourage you to check out Steven Sinofsky’s blog post today on the Building Windows 8 blog. Steven’s post sums up today’s release nicely. Here’s a short, high-level excerpt:

“Windows 8 reimagines Windows, from the chipset to the experience. With the Developer Preview we focused on presenting the new APIs and amazing new tools for developers. Today’s Consumer Preview is focused on a broader audience, and along with improvements to the WinRT APIs based on developer feedback, we are introducing the full user experience, the Windows Store for apps, and early previews of some first- and third-party apps.”

And, on the Windows Experience Blog, you’ll find a blog post designed to help you get started with the Windows 8 Consumer Preview, including system requirements, a link to a FAQ, a link to a forum where we hope you’ll share your thoughts, and lots of other guidance.

Enjoy, everyone. And please know that our dozens of book authors writing about Windows 8 are picking up their pace now!