Critical.
Authoritative.
Strategic.
Subscribe to CIO Magazine »

Another Windows 8 pre-beta surfaces

An early beta release of Windows 8 has been leaked onto the Internet, according to reports

While Microsoft has not announced the release date, or even the official name, of its follow-up to Windows 7, an early pre-beta version of the OS has surfaced on the Internet, the second version to appear within a month.

Users of the Beta Archive Web site are claiming that the service's FTP servers contain a developmental copy of the next generation of Windows, Windows 8 version 6.2.7955.0 milestone 2. Access to the servers requires a user account.

This is the second milestone release that has showed up on the Internet this month.

Microsoft Milestone releases are early pre-beta versions of its products, usually meant for internal use and testing. The first public beta release of the software may happen as soon as within the next few months, according to the WinRumors news site.

Users of this Windows 8 software have said it features a Ribbon-based user-interface, similar to the one used in recent editions of Microsoft Office. This specific milestone build also has software for a Webcam, a new task manager, a PDF reader and an immersive browser.

Microsoft is also developing a version of the software to run on ARM processors, in order to address the rapidly growing market for tablets.

The news of the leaked software comes a week after Microsoft announced that, in the 18 months since its release, Windows 7 has sold more than 350 million licenses worldwide.

Microsoft declined to verify the authenticity of the milestone release.

Joab Jackson covers enterprise software and general technology breaking news for The IDG News Service. Follow Joab on Twitter at @Joab_Jackson. Joab's e-mail address is Joab_Jackson@idg.com

Join the CIO Australia group on LinkedIn. The group is open to CIOs, IT Directors, COOs, CTOs and senior IT managers.

More about: Apple, IDG, Microsoft, Milestone
References show all

Comments

Post new comment

The content of this field is kept private and will not be shown publicly.
Users posting comments agree to the CIO comments policy.
Login or register to link comments to your user profile, or you may also post a comment without being logged in.
Related Coverage
Related Whitepapers
Latest Stories
Community Comments
Tags: Microsoft, operating systems, software, Windows, Windows desktop
Latest Blog Posts
Whitepapers
  • High Availability with Oracle Database 11g Release 2
    In this paper, we review the common causes of application downtime and discuss how technologies available in the Oracle Database can help avoid costly downtime and enable rapid recovery from unplanned failures and also minimize impact from planned outages. We also highlight new technologies introduced in Oracle Database 11g Release 2 that enable businesses to make their IT infrastructure even more robust and fault tolerant, maximize their return on investment on high availability infrastructure, and provide better quality of service to users.
    Learn more »
  • Three simple steps to better patch security
    It’s estimated that 90% of successful attacks against software vulnerabilities could be prevented with an existing patch or configuration setting. Yet patching is a persistent challenge for IT managers. With the glut of patches released each year, how do you know which ones are truly critical security patches and which ones aren’t? And how can you identify which computers are actually missing the patches they need? This paper details a simple approach to patching that gives you better visibility into and control over patch assessment and compliance.
    Learn more »
  • So Long, Silos: Why Multi-Domain MDM Is Better For Your Business
    Say “so long” to silos. This white paper explains why a multi-domain MDM solution is far better than single-domain, single-focused point solutions. You’ll learn what to look for in a multi-domain solution so you don’t outgrow it or are forced to purchase multiple products down the road. You’ll also get tips on how to select a multi-domain solution that can lead to multiple benefits over many years. The age of multi-domain MDM is here. See why you should say “hello” to it!
    Learn more »
All whitepapers
rhs_login_lockGet exclusive access to Invitation only events CIO, reports & analysis.
Recent comments