It comes as two download options: an executable file that partitions your existing system and installs Windows 8 as dual-boot; and an ISO that you can burn to disc and try on a fresh computer. This follows the Windows 8 Developer Preview that we took a look at in September 2011.
This time around, Microsoft has been working hard on the user interface. One of the complaints we had when we first looked at Windows 8 was that the Metro interface was great on a touchscreen, but with a keyboard and mouse it was hard to use.
With Consumer Preview, Microsoft has added scrollbars to the bottom of display, so you can quickly slide around the home screen. A zoom-out control lets you get an eagle-eye view of everything, letting you jump to the tiles that you want quickly.
There are also four hotspots in the corners of the display. These can be used to bring up the Start menu, recent applications and a shortcut bar. It looks a lot smoother and better designed than the original Developer Preview, although we'll reserve final judgement until we've had chance to download and install the software.
Download your free copy here
