Hot on the heels of Microsoft's last highly successful operating system, Windows 7, Windows 8 is preparing to enter the market. Tech-savvy users are itching to try out Windows 8. In fact, many people in the MSDN developer network are taking advantage of Microsoft's open beta program to give the fledgling operating system a shot before prime time.

Of course, a new operating system is bound to need some work. It's something to play with, look for bugs in and prepare to develop for, if that is your forte. A beta-quality operating system is anything but reliable, though. Users of unfinished copies of Windows 8 can expect strange compatibility issues, crashes, blue screens, reboots and other peculiar behavior that can be expected not to occur in the final version.

However, Windows 8 has a unique and highly appealing interface that is geared toward users who heavily use touch screens, mobile smart phones and tablets. Many people are likely to want to adopt this interesting new visual motif without taking the plunge into Windows 8 proper. Windows 8 Theme is a great way to make your Windows XP, Vista or Windows 7 system look just like Windows 8. It lends your system a unique and eye pleasing visual aesthetic that makes using your computer a refreshing experience. Not only that, it is sure to turn heads, making friends and colleagues ask if you are running the latest Windows 8 beta version. Tell them whatever you like because they will be hard pressed to tell the difference by looking at your system!

Windows 8 themes can come in one of two formats. One uses the built-in theme functionality of Windows to display the new appearance. This approach is easier to install but more limited. The alternative is a theme that uses custom software. This is more CPU intensive but much more flexible and accurate to the real thing.