kartiksh - 10:40 pm on Jul 14, 2012 (gmt 0)

graeme_p, i can not comment on why and what they did late or now, but from what i hear from them publically and from this faq [windows.microsoft.com...]

Will my devices and programs work with Windows 8 Release Preview? Windows 8 Release Preview should work with the same devices and programs that work with Windows 7. In some cases, the device or program might require an update or you might need to uninstall some programs, and then reinstall them after installing Windows 8 Release Preview. The Windows 8 Release Preview Setup program will scan your PC to determine what's compatible and provide a report that you can save or print. Make sure your devices are connected to your PC and turned on before you run the Setup program.

Now back to hardware specifically designed for Windows 8, yes it may not run windows 7, but what you have today running windows 7 will surely run the windows 8 on this.

I just upgraded my win 7 pro samsung slate to win 8 release preview and it worked verywell.