90 trial of Windows 8
Windows 8 Enterprise is Microsoft’s “gold” version, which means it’s the finished product, available to users before its official release of Windows 8 on October 26th, 2012. There hasn’t been any any major updates since the Windows 8 Release Preview except for some added customization options and some more business oriented options.
Windows 8 Enterprise includes the same Windows Phone UI, which blends touch and gestures based controls on top of the traditional Windows 8 desktop. The entire interface feels snappy and Windows 8 Enterprise is the most stable version of Windows 8 thus far. Apps launch quickly and snapping in and out of the Windows Start interface is a breeze. While it may be confusing to new users who are used to previous versions of Windows, there are a ton of mouse and keyboard controls for Windows 8 Enterprise that you can read about in our Windows 8 guide.
Windows 8 Enterprise also brings tons of great apps that are included right out of the box. Internet Explorer has a touch based UI, Mail has seen a complete overhaul, and the People app is a great place to look up contacts and see what they’ve been up to. Be sure to install the latest version Windows Essentials 2012, which includes Movie Maker, Gallery, and many more apps that are optimized for Windows 8 Enterprise.
The Bing and People app have received slight updates as well. The Bing app now shows search results as tiles, continuing with the Windows 8 aesthetic. Scroll horizontally to view more results. There’s no more need to click to get another page of results. The People app updated to make things cleaner and more organized. It still supports a ton of social networks including Facebook, Linkedin, Twitter, Microsoft, Outlook, and Google.
Some minor changes include the ability to ‘tattoo‘ your start screen with new, crazy designs and the death of ‘Aero,’ the window transparency that was introduced in Windows Vista.
While Windows 8 Enterprise didn’t surprise us with anything new and revolutionary, it gives an idea about what to expect in the final release of Windows 8. one thing to note when using Windows 8 Enterprise is that after the 90 day trial, the evaluation will expire and cannot be upgraded. You will also have 10 days to activate this evaluation copy online.
Overall, Windows 8 Enterprise gives users a healthy evaluation period with full access to every feature Windows 8 has to offer.
