Windows 8 Public Beta in February – Full Release Date Soon After

You’ve seen the screen shots of Windows 8‘s Metro styling and you’ve seen it boot up in crazy quick time – so when will it arrive? Well, in less than a year if calculations are correct.

Windows 8 is obviously following its mobile cousin to the same fashion outlets in its choice of the grid-like “Metro” interface that first appeared on the company’s Windows Phone 7 software and which has subsequently found its way on to the Xbox 360’s dashboard.

Windows 8 is designed to play nice on Intel PC chips as well as ARM-powered tablets.

According to multiple sources, the Windows 8 public beta will be released in late February next year.

A developer preview of Windows 8 has already been made available for those keen to tinker which is all well and good for them. The exciting thing is that a Windows 8 public beta will be open for everyone to use (not just those developer types) in February. That also gives a strong hint when we might see Windows 8 on the shelves.

You see, for Windows 7 the Big M made it available in January 2009 and then, like a proud parent, officially released it in October, 9 months later.

If Redmond sticks to that gestation period schedule it means we could well see that February 2012 public beta release, being followed by a full launch of Windows 8 in November. That could also mean that new machines packing the latest Microsoft operating system will be ready for those Christmas lists 😉

Here’s a video to keep you thinking as to whether or not that you’ll love this on your home computer: