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Microsoft releases beta for Windows Server 8

By Nicole Kobie

Posted on 2 Mar 2012 at 09:26

Microsoft has released the beta for Windows Server 8, following a developer preview last year.

Unlike the "Customer Preview" of the Windows 8 desktop OS, unveiled earlier this week, Microsoft is calling the release a beta.

"The response from that community, along with hundreds of customers in our early adopters programme, has been incredibly positive," said Bill Laing, corporate vice president of server and cloud, in a post on a Microsoft blog.

Laing higlighted a few of Windows Server 8's features, including a new version of Hyper-V with support for network virtualisation, as well as improvements to disaster recovery systems and new automation capabilities.

"Additionally, Windows Server “8” provides a powerful server application platform that enables you to develop and host the most demanding of application workloads," Laing added. "For example, with .NET Framework 4.5 you can take advantage of new asynch language and library support to build server and web applications that scale far beyond what other platforms provide."

The blog post also suggested the name of the next gen server OS wasn't set, with Laing referring to it throughout as Windows Server "8".

The Windows Server 8 beta can be downloaded here.

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User comments

Metro - pointless

I've just downloaded this and been having a look at it. The metro start screen is entirely pointless - the OS boots to the desktop by default, and although you can go to the Metro start screen by clicking where the start button isn't, all the apps (including IE) are desktop versions so it throws you straight back to the desktop. The obvious conclusion is that a pop-up menu would be more convenient...

By valeofyork on 2 Mar 2012

Metro - pointless

By valeofyork on 2 Mar 2012

Mini Metro?

With some of the negative reaction I've seen for the Windows 8 implementation of Metro, maybe the minimalist version in Server '8' would be preferable.

By Stiggy on 4 Mar 2012

I think its good

I think its good (although i had issues installing, since windows 8 removes the boot from anything else (i think)) But it is just so much faster and more responsive than Windows 7. I am disappointed that the ability to remove the metro got removed, in the developers preview it was possible to regedit. So far no feasible way to turn it off. THe Metro look completely pointless for the Desktop user,Many people will be questioning whether to buy W8 when it comes out if the Metro look is still a permanent thing. although i am sure somebody will find a way

By mobilegnet on 4 Mar 2012

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