Now that the Consumer Preview of Microsoft’s Windows 8 platform is available for testing, people have to consider where to install the beta OS. I put it on an iMac using Parallels software, mainly because I need my current Windows laptop to be stable. But I do have two old netbooks in the closet, just collecting dust. Turns out, netbooks should mostly work to test Windows 8, provided you know the limitations and workarounds.
The biggest obstacle for Windows 8 on a netbook isn’t the processor or memory requirements, as one might expect. Instead, it’s the display resolution, as many older netbooks came with a 1024 x 600 resolution screens. But as demonstrated on this video demo, Brad Linder from the Liliputing blog shows how to adjust the screen so that a netbook works with Windows 8, the Windows Store and applications specific to the Metro user interface:
Although it’s not optimal, and it takes a little tweaking to get Windows 8 working on a netbook, I’m planning to follow Linder’s lead and dust off an old netbook. Why risk a computer needed for daily activities or futz with a dual-boot situation when a low-cost laptop will give a taste of Windows 8?
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