Trackpad support, though perhaps no replacement for a true touchscreen, could go a long way to quieting complaints about Windows 8's Metro interface and its gesture-first UI.

Can I use the same PC for Release Preview as I did for the Consumer Preview of Windows 8? Microsoft says yes, but some users say no.

Microsoft's list of system requirements for the Release Preview is identical to what it published for February's Consumer Preview: It's as unrealistic in the real world now as it was then.

But a thread on Microsoft's support site shows that some people haven't been able to run Release Preview on machines that were perfectly capable of managing the Consumer Preview. Those users reported seeing the message "Your PC's CPU isn't compatible with Windows 8," when trying to install the newest milestone.

"Very disappointed that my PC can run Windows 7 and Consumer Preview but not the Release Preview, said someone identified as "SinlessEarth" yesterday. "So much for paying for the final version. I'm not buying a new PC just for Windows 8."