Although there are only a few days left until the launch of Windows 8 Consumer Preview, few lucky people have already managed to get their hands on that version of Windows in order to make an opinion related to changes.

As an overview, in the Consumer Preview version of Microsoft’s operating system we will not see Windows Live and Zune, both disappearing as brands. Going through a rebranding process, many applications have been abolished, but many of them have been simply renamed.

Applications that we used to download separately through the Windows Live Apps suite, which include Live Writer or Movie Maker, in Windows 8 Consumer Preview will come preinstalled on the system and will be part of the Windows Communications set. Microsoft Account will be the name in Windows 8 used to refer to the old Windows Live ID.

On the side of Zune, although Zune Pass holders will continue enjoying it, that name will be missing from everywhere. Zune Music Player and Zune Video Player will become, simply, Music and Video.

Among the big changes still include Windows Live Mail, which will become Mail, Windows Live Calendar will become Calendar, Windows Live Contacts will become People, Windows Live Photo Gallery will become Photos and many other changes of this type.

The argument brought by Microsoft regarding this decision of stop using some stand-alone brands present in Windows is that these changes are aimed at simplifying the entire user experience in Windows 8 Consumer Preview.