Windows 8 RTM Download Available Now

Quote from rockyct : Also, just so everyone knows, the 90 day trial will expire after that time. It cannot be made into a real Win8 instal.

That doesn't make any sense to me. If it's a true RTM that includes a 90 day period without a license verification, than you could just add the legitimate key code anytime in that time window when you get it. That's how I did my Windows 7 back in the day. If it's not a "real" Windows 8 install, it's not a real RTM.

Quote from estoyloco : http://technet.microsoft.com/en-u...wc-tn-wctc Didn't see it posted. RTM is available for download on TechNet and 90-day evaluation available to general public while everyone waits for Windows 8 release date.

Downloading from MSDN subscriber downloads [microsoft.com] right now. Thanks for the heads up.

Date on the MSDN release is Aug 15th, 20112.
It does not say Release Candidate on it anymore.
Product keys are available.
When claiming a product key, it does say "RETAIL".

Looks like the RTM to me.

It is odd that I see downloads for Enterprise and a nonspecific version of Windows 8, but the product keys state Pro and a nonspecific version of Windows 8.
There are also check builds, and volume license download, and language packs.

Quote from Ransom : That doesn't make any sense to me. If it's a true RTM that includes a 90 day period without a license verification, than you could just add the legitimate key code anytime in that time window when you get it. That's how I did my Windows 7 back in the day. If it's not a "real" Windows 8 install, it's not a real RTM.

You are right.

But it's indeed a 90 days and die version.

From the link:"Following the evaluation period, you will need to replace the operating system on your test computer and reinstall all your programs and data. It is not possible to upgrade the evaluation to a licensed working version of Windows 8 Enterprise. A clean installation is required."

It's pretty useless......

Quote from Ransom : That doesn't make any sense to me. If it's a true RTM that includes a 90 day period without a license verification, than you could just add the legitimate key code anytime in that time window when you get it. That's how I did my Windows 7 back in the day. If it's not a "real" Windows 8 install, it's not a real RTM.

The public download could have code in it that cripples ability to register but is otherwise exactly the same as RTM.

It makes sense for MS to allow people to register these after 90 days. Do they just want to piss people off by making them install everything again? Windows 8 is already going to be a tough enough sale. It's the OS no one needs.

Quote from estoyloco : http://technet.microsoft.com/en-u...wc-tn-wctc Didn't see it posted. RTM is available for download on TechNet and 90-day evaluation available to general public while everyone waits for Windows 8 release date.

Might want to clarify that the RTM is available for download from MSDN Subscriber downloads [microsoft.com]

The reason for this thread was to announce the release on MSDN (and perhaps Technet). I gave a rep for that.

I find the other comments absurd. People are debating if the OS is garbage or not. If you have hardware that is designed for such an OS or if you want to play with the new OS, then you are probably happy as a pig in sh*t. I have plenty of spare systems and server with juice for many more VMs, so I am anxious to play with it. Will I use it as my main OS? Probably not, but I do like to play.

This thread craping is common. Examples shine when Andriod users crap on iOS apps, and vice versa.

Again, I gave a rep to the thread originator for the heads up.

Quote from estoyloco : It is if you want to try a full blown OS for 90 days to decide if it is worth the $40 while the promo is ongoing.

linux is free all the time.

time to go post every single linux distro.

maybe I should post AOL trial cds too.

Ughh... I was all set to give Microsoft and Windows 8 a tentative defense and at least the benefit of the doubt in this thread. But this is just dumb. I would have considered installing this to try it out and then probably ended up paying the $40 just to not have to re-install 7 if I thought 8 was decent and usable, even if unnecessary.

But calling something an RTM that isn't really an RTM is both annoying and a bait-and-switch.

Quote from namlook : This is looking like a windows millennium/vista fiasco. Why Windows 8 will be dead on arrival [zdnet.com]

Windows 8 is an os designed for a tablet style os, hardware off the bat won't make it everyones favorite for desktop right away but over time that is going to change.

The cross platform development environment and the integration between Windows 8 pc/phone and tablet is going to make this phenomenal, it's just going to take a little time for adoption.

win8 is junk

Quote from namlook : This is looking like a windows millennium/vista fiasco. Why Windows 8 will be dead on arrival [zdnet.com]

ZDNet , masters of click-bait articles . You did notice the author writes for the Linux open-source blog for ZDNet? I wonder if that could contribute to his negative bias....

If you're a traditional desktop user, then there is more than likely no reason to upgrade. However, those who have All-in-ones w/ touch screens and laptops with trackpads will definitely appreciate the smoother experience. Part of what makes the MBP so highly regarded is how the touchpad functions. Microsoft and Synaptics got some good stuff brewing on that front for Windows 8 and it should definitely bring the touchpad experience on par with OS X.

This is my next: Windows 8 [theverge.com] <--- someone excited to be getting Windows 8

Quote from sabin : ZDNet , masters of click-bait articles . You did notice the author writes for the Linux open-source blog for ZDNet? I wonder if that could contribute to his negative bias....

Sadly it's not just ZDNet. People are trashing Windows 8 everywhere. I was hoping for something better as a windows user.

Look for a Windows 7 downgrade available from every White Box maker.
There is no way any business is going to adopt Windows 8 since most including our Company are only on our second year of full Windows 7 deployment and that was a costly learning curve from XP.
The cost of training and deployment would be prohibitive.
IF Dell, HP, Lenovo etc want to sell Units a Windows 7 Option will be a must!!!

Quote from sabin : ZDNet , masters of click-bait articles . You did notice the author writes for the Linux open-source blog for ZDNet? I wonder if that could contribute to his negative bias.... If you're a traditional desktop user, then there is more than likely no reason to upgrade. However, those who have All-in-ones w/ touch screens and laptops with trackpads will definitely appreciate the smoother experience. Part of what makes the MBP so highly regarded is how the touchpad functions. Microsoft and Synaptics got some good stuff brewing on that front for Windows 8 and it should definitely bring the touchpad experience on par with OS X. This is my next: Windows 8 [theverge.com] <--- someone excited to be getting Windows 8

As someone who has been using a copy of Win8 for a few days now.. I have to agree with the DOA assertion. The removal of the start button / menu has killed the concept of seamless multitasking* for real users. This OS is basically pretty (shades of ME and MS Bob for those who remember), specifically made for tablets and extended for a desktop environment. MS is looking at unifying their phone, forthcoming Surface computers, and desktops. But it doesn't work well for desktops. And enterprise / businesses will NEVER switch to this. To open any second program, you need to click the start 'window' and scroll through a massive social media list of crap just to find the icon you want.
***This is not to mean that you can't multitask... the OS actually does run as fast if not sometimes faster with programs, but that might just be because they removed such things as Aero, so it will obviously run faster. You can multitask as well as on Win7 from a computing point of view, the problem is the jarring start window which takes over your whole desktop while you search blindly for the damn icon. And screw you if you were watching a video or something on your desktop... cause NOT NOW. Now it is time to stare at the pretty blinky start screen while you find program number 2...

In addition, dear lord is MS piling on the marketing. They are trying to extend the concept of the App store / Android market onto the desktop. They want to make micro-transactions the new cash cow for their desktop users. Right out the box you can sync this to your Xbox... because that's just what I want to do.. Sync a massive tower with 100X the processing and graphics power to a crappy horribly outdated set-top box which I don't even own. But it is prominently on the start page. In fact... most of what exists on the start page initially (until you remove all of it) is a bunch of marketing crap you can't tell is marketing and seems to be severely integrated into the OS.

This is a nice operating system for a tablet or a phone... not for a laptop or desktop. This is a bad move by Microsoft.

Dual booting Win7 & XP on SSD.
Installed RTM on a 2nd drive.
Totally buggered up all boot files on SSD, couldn't boot to anything.
Disconnected 2nd drive and repaired Win7 and XP.
Disconnected SSD and formatted 1st partition on 2nd drive, reloaded RTM.
Reconnected SSD and reset boot order with Easy BCD.
Connected 2nd drive and all booting was totally screwed up with Win7 and XP.
This didn't happen with the previous version of Win8 (7100.0.09421-1700).

I have no idea what MS is trying to accomplished with this RTM. Whatever it is, it isn't working.

Also, when I loaded the RTM version, many of my selections from the previous Win8 version reappeared as if by magic. i.e. the desktop theme. This was a clean install. Where did this info come from? I think MS had this info stored from my last validation.

Scary!