Test Drive the Windows 8 Consumer Preview in a Virtual Machine

If you're on the fence about the new Windows 8 consumer preview and you're not sure whether all of the new features are enough to make you want to upgrade, or whether you'd like the new Metro interface, here's a safe way to give the preview a try without risking a computer or a lot of setup time to do so: use VirtualBox.

The system requirements for Windows 8 aren't particularly high, but if you just don't want to dedicate a whole computer to playing around with the preview, the folks at ExtremeTech point out that the new consumer preview—unlike the developer's preview from last year—takes to virtualization remarkably well, and VirtualBox in particular. They have a detailed walkthrough of the setup and configuration process, complete with some common issues you may run into and how to fix them. Update: So do we! Our guide was for the developer's preview, but the steps are still solid.

Some of you are already using some virtualization software to test drive Windows 8. Which are you using, and how is it going? Share your impressions and experiences in the comments below.

Virtualizing Windows 8 Consumer Preview Is a Breeze with VirtualBox | ExtremeTech