It was clear from the early “developer preview” Microsoft released in September that Windows 8 would be a radically different version of the company’s ubiquitous operating system. But we really are on the threshold of a whole new era of personal computing as evidenced this week by the debut of a more complete preview version of Windows 8 that consumers can download.

The stakes for Microsoft and the entire computing ecosystem are enormous. This new era is built around tablets as much as on traditional laptops and desktops — and multitouch as much as the keyboard and mouse. And rival Apple, which has a huge lead in tablets and is expected to unveil its newest iPad next week, is revving up a new version of its Macintosh OS X called Mountain Lion.

Windows 8 provides consumers the flexibility to go back and forth between touch and the keyboard and mouse. It’s a cloud-based operating system tied into various Microsoft services online, including SkyDrive, where you can store and access documents and pictures. And Windows 8 is designed to work on all types of hardware.

“We re-imagined the different ways people interact with their PC and how to make everything feel like a natural extension of the device, whether using a Windows 8 tablet, laptop or all-in-one,” Steven Sinofsky, president of the Windows and Windows Live Division, said at the Mobile World Congress.

Some highlights of what you can expect, based on Windows 8’s performance on a Samsung test tablet:

You can log in with a picture password instead of the standard typed password, by “drawing” a chosen image with your finger on the touch-screen in a predetermined pattern.

From the Start screen, you can view the weather, appointments and contacts — and choose how the information is organized. Sinofsky calls it “a generational change for Windows.”

At the core of the new operating system is an attractive, customizable user layout called Metro, similar to what folks using the latest Windows Phones see. It’s based on colorful and dynamic touchable tiles of different sizes.

You can click on a Desktop tile to return to a more familiar Windows layout. You can pin apps you use frequently. If you have a touch-capable computer or tablet, you can switch among apps, pan and zoom and get around with finger gestures. You can tap to launch an app, follow a link and so on. Swiping from the right or left edge of the screen summons system commands called “charms.”

You can type with one of two onscreen touch keyboards, a full-size version with large buttons or a thumb keyboard when you’re on the go. The latter splits the keyboard on the screen and is designed for portable devices.

You can also plug in a physical keyboard and mouse.

Most consumers should wait for a final version of Windows before plunging forward. (You can’t retreat to Windows 7 or earlier versions once the beta expires.)

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