Windows 8 Beta Hits 1 Million Downloads In 24 Hours

Sites include Microsoft.com . Published on March 15th, 2012. Written by Anthony West.

Microsoft is pinning a lot to the release of Windows 8, so it’s probably very good news for the software maker that the beta preview of Windows 8 has was downloaded more than 1 million times in its first 24 hours.

So far tech insiders and analysts have been rather kind to the build, but many are saying that the litmus test will be consumer reaction. Will many Windows 7 users cough up some cash and get a spanking new Windows 8 machine, and perhaps more importantly will new computer buyers be impressed enough to grab a PC with Windows 8? The answer will certainly be revealed come release day, but for now, PC manufacturers are gearing up to make the best of the upcoming release.

And speaking of Windows releases, might the earlier versions of the operating system be faced with cessation of support. Microsoft did announce recently that it will cease support for IE6; a move which many felt was long overdue. To date one of the most popular versions of Windows has been XP, but even it is ‘getting on’ and so with this upcoming release, there might be plans to phase out support for this popular platform.

Do you think XP will be phased out? Let us know below.