bill - 5:03 am on Jun 4, 2012 (gmt 0)

My guess is they will probably ask for your preference when you install Windows 8, like if you want to switch to the Windows 8 UI or keep Windows 7 elements

That's not what is being offered in the Windows 8 Release Preview. They have been going out of their way to disable hacks that allow you to boot into the desktop or restore the old Start button functionality. Like it or not, MS is switching to this new Metro interface as the default.