By Emeka Aginam

With more than three million downloads received last year from the developer’s preview, the software giant, Microsoft on Monday announced the availability of the Windows 8 consumer preview, the next milestone of the Windows operating system.

The Windows 8 consumer preview, according to the software giant offers a more robust experience for testing the world’s most popular operating system.

The software, Microsoft said is available to the widest range of consumers following the initial release of the Windows 8 Developer Preview late last year.

“With Windows 8, we re-imagined the different ways people interact with their PC and how to make everything feel like a natural extension of the device, whether using a Windows 8 tablet, laptop or all-in-one,” President of the Windows and Windows Live Division of Microsoft, Steven Sinofsky said, adding that the windows 8 consumer preview brings a no-compromises approach.

At the Windows 8 consumer preview event in Barcelona recently, the company shared some key new updates in the Windows 8 Consumer preview.