Sorry, the discount offer mentioned in this post has expired.
At CES, I had a chance to spend some time with a few key members of the Windows 8 team, and I looked at some recent builds that are very close to what Microsoft will release as a beta in about a month.
Many of the details I heard and saw were off the record, but I can say this with confidence: If you use Windows, you will want to try the Windows 8 beta.
And what better way to prepare for the beta then with my latest book, Windows 8 Head Start? It’s based on the Windows 8 Developer Preview, and in its 100 pages you’ll get a through overview of the new user interface and learn what you need to know to prepare. When the beta arrives, I’ll be updating the book (and doubling it in length). And here’s the best part:
Anyone who has purchased the current edition will get the next edition for free.
Oh, and I have a coupon code you can use to get 30% off your order total when you check out. That means you’ll pay $7 instead of the list price of $9.95.
The book is available in a single download package that contains full-color editions suitable for reading on any device. Use the PDF file on your PC or Mac, copy the MOBI file to your Amazon Kindle, or use the EPUB file on a Nook or other Android device.
Interested? Here are the details:
Go to the book page at the Fair Trade DX bookstore.Add the book to your cart.When you check out, include the code friendofed. Your 30% discount will be reflected in the checkout price.
You can purchase the book at the Amazon or B&N store, but the checkout discount is only available from FairTrade DX directly. (Copies purchased from any source are eligible for the free update to the next edition.)
Why am I doing this? Because I want your feedback. Tell me what needs to be in the next edition and you’ll see that feedback reflected in the update.
Thanks for your support.
Ed Bott (@ wordpress.com) 
To be honest I’m in two minds about this.
First point: MS need to make their own virtual machine software work with their own software. If VM wasre and virtual box can run Windows 8 VirtualPC should too. Big barrier to people trying it out.
Second point: not really sure about buying a book for a beta/pre-release. I can understand it gives a heads up on the eventual release of Windows 8 but what is the advantage of this book instead of waiting for the final version of Win 8 and a final book?
Not trolling, just interested. It’s new ground doing an ebook like this so very interested in your results.
Going to grab this right now! Thanks Ed! My biggest concern is what does this version of Windows REALLY do to the desktop. Not the portables, but the desktop. Big changes by MS usually don’t get recieved well, and all the hype so far has shown massive changes. So, yes, I’m worried.
Your bookseller Fair Trade DX has problems completing my transaction with PayPal, so I guess I don’t get your book.
Ray, send an e-mail to Customer Service, and we will get it sorted out. If it happened to you, it could happen to other people, and we want to find out why and fix it.
Updated: Looks like we’ve got your order sorted out and are on the way to figuring out why it didn’t go through properly at first. Thanks for letting us know!
Just bought the book. For my first pass, I really just looked at the pictures.
Here’s my big question at this point – How will I use this interface on my desktop to do all the things I do now? How will I use Outlook, Word, surf the web, view my pictures, import digital pictures, use Adobe Photoshop, use Quicken, Skype, Spotify, Zune Software, and MS Messenger?
I’ll accept the learning curve when I buy a tablet, I’ll fully anticipate this being different, but what abou the person who buys a desktop and expects to see the familiar Windows interface. How much trouble are then in for? And not the power user, but my wife’s mother who calls me weekly for tech support,. Can she figure it out?
I really think the tablets need to come out first. Give folks a chance to adjust. I see a bunch of nit-picking Apple enthusists who will throw W8 under the bus on day 1 because they can’t/won’t spend the time to learn something new. It is going to be a transition for everyone who makes the switch. The challenge for MSFT is how to set the expectations.
Ed, the more you can help the early adopters figure things out, the easier it is for us to get our mother-in-law’s up to speed.
My take on the two-interfaces question:
Windows 8 has two completely separate interfaces, a traditional Windows desktop, like Windows 7, and a shiny new “Portable App” interface.
If you use Win 8 to replace Win 7 (or XP), you’ll naturally use the desktop interface. But if you’re developing software for portable devices, that does NOT WORK! That’s why they have the Metro interface, so that people can work on (or use) portable apps without needing to swap between devices or run awkward simulators. The Metro interface is all about developing mobile apps! Having both in one OS just makes things easier for everybody.
You don’t have to learn the Metro interface to get your e-mail or play solitaire. You may want to for other reasons, but that’s up to you.
That’s why the current one is a ‘Developer’s Preview’, and why it highlights the Metro interface. Developers are under a lot of pressure to develop mobile apps, and Win 8 brings them important capabilities they don’t have now.
If you’re not a software developer or a heavy portable device user, don’t worry about it.
Thanks, Ed. Just purchased over at Amazon for my Kindle. That wispernet is so simple. Looking forward to your insites on Win8.