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Will you upgrade to Windows 8? Will you get it on a new PC? On a tablet? Or do you plan to skip it as you may have skipped Vista? For those willing to dip their toes into the waters of Microsoft's drastic re-thinking of its flagship chunk of software, there are a number of options for how to actually get it. And in a poll on PCMag run back when Windows 8 Release Preview was launched, a surprising number of you want to start in with the new OS the moment it's available. For those eager beavers, along with anyone else wanting to move forward in the Windows world, we submit the following guide.

As of a couple days ago, we know exactly when you'll be able to get Windows 8—October 26. Windows head honcho Stephen Sinofsky made the announcement at Microsoft's annual sales announcement on July 18. This availability applies to both new PCs and tablets and to upgrade options.

Let's take a look at the different paths you can take to get to Windows 8 once that date rolls around, with the two primary options being upgrade versus new machine.

Upgrade
It looks like upgrade pricing will be a lot more aggressive than it has been for previous Windows generations. Not only has Apple set the tone with its cheap $29.99 upgrades for Mac OS X, but the pricing information that Microsoft has put out so far decidedly slants towards the inexpensive. In any case, both Apple and Microsoft are far more interested in having you buy a new computer rather than just updating your existing model. One columnist has even called the pricing known so far "fire sale prices."

One question that remains is whether Microsoft will offer a full, non-upgrade version at retail. Another is pricing difference between non-Pro and Pro Editions. We'd assume that with fewer features, the non-Pro Windows 8 upgrade will cost even less, and we can expect announcements on this as we move to the RTM (release to manufacturing—first week of August) and GA (general availability—October 26) stages of development.

One final bit about availability (unfortunately without pricing details, yet) is that there will be System Builder editions of Windows 8 and Windows 8 Pro. This is for folks who aren't upgrading from an existing Windows installation, but rather taking it upon themselves to build their own PCs from component parts. This is a particularly popular endeavor among PC gamers.

Tired of just hearing about Windows 8 all the time? Well then, you’re in luck — Microsoft has finally released the Windows 8 Consumer Preview to the public, so people outside of the tech bubble finally have the chance to take Redmond’s new OS for a spin.

Be warned though: the file sizes range from 2.5 to 3.3 GB depending on your preference between the 32-bit or 64-bit versions, so you may be downloading for quite some time.

Hopefully the download process isn’t too much of a headache — according to Microsoft’s Steven Sinofsky, they’re already bracing themselves from the hordes of Windows 8-hungry users. The servers seem to be coping with the load just fine for right now (thanks for the heads up, commenters), but we’ll see how things progress as more people hear about it.

Alongside the long-awaited download links, Microsoft has also provided users with the necessary system requirements for running the Consumer Preview, and they’re just as lax as what Windows 7 required. While a 1GHz processor and DirectX9 or later are a must, the rest of the requirement depends on which version of the OS you would like to run. If you’re a 32-bit type, you’ll only need 1GB of RAM and 16GB of disk space, while those of the 64-bit persuasion need at least 2GB of RAM and 20GB available on their hard drives.

The lack of buttons and windows is apparent when you look at the interface. There are gestures you can use instead as shortcuts. For those who don’t have touch tablets there are mouse gestures available too.

A surprise in Windows 8 is how good Internet Explorer 10 is. Fluid, fast and responsive, it’s actually a worthy alternative to Chrome and Firefox.

Here are a few screenshots for your viewing pleasure:

Windows 8 has literally got hundreds of new features so a rundown of what’s new would make this a very lengthy post, so give it a spin. The minimum requirements are:

There may be additional requirements to use certain features like Snap and Touch based gestures though.

The Windows 8 Consumer Preview is available worldwide for download in English, French, German, Japanese and simplified Chinese languages.

If you prefer ISO files, go to the following link to download the image files:

Or you can just go the following link let it decide which version would be suitable for you:

Note: Only upgrading from Windows 7 is treated as a full upgrade. If you upgrade from Windows XP or Windows 8 developer preview, only your user accounts and files will be saved and you’ll lose your settings and programs.

The preview can be downloaded here  — enjoy! (Oh, and let us know what you think.)