Microsoft's Windows 8 Consumer Previewsaw more than one million downloads during the first day of its release, the Building Windows 8 team said via Twitter late Thursday. The beta version of Windows 8 posted on Wednesday morning; it's not clear whether the first million downloads occurred within or just beyond the first 24 hours of availability. Microsoft recorded three million downloads of the Windows 8 Developer Preview between September and December, 2011.
The latest version of Windows is a dramatic departure from previous versions of Microsoft's trademark OS. Most notably, the decades old PC desktop has been kicked from its perch as the main Windows interface in favor of a touch-centric Start screen that echoes Windows Phone 7. "Windows 8 reimagines Windows, from the chipset to the experience," said Steven Sinofsky, president of Microsoft's Windows division.
