Microsoft fans and PC users the world over have been sitting patiently for the day when the Redmond company deemed their latest Windows 8 operating system ready for a full public release. Microsoft has put a lot of effort into the design and development of the latest version of Windows, making sure to keep users involved in every step of the way with regular preview releases for testing purposes. Reaction to the radically overhauled operating system has been somewhat mixed, but has been positive enough to make Microsoft think that they may be onto a winner.
Fans of Microsoft's Windows 8 have something to celebrate today with the news that the company has completed development of the upcoming operating system. With the software set to make its way to OEMs soon, another milestone has been reached inside Redmond - the company is now accepting paid app submissions for the Windows Store.
When Microsoft announced its Surface last month, the tech world was largely impressed by its potential, and by essentially killing off the wholly awful netbook market as well as having a real stab at the iPad-manned tablet field, it appeared to kill two birds with the one proverbial stone.
With just days left ahead of Microsoft’s promised release window for Windows 8 RTM*, the company is going through the very final steps of the software development cycle - involving things like checks and verifications. We’ve received news from TheVerge that the final build of Windows 8 will be 9200.16384.WIN8_RTM.120725-1247 (or just 9200) and not 8888 as it was previously being reported. TheVerge cites their own sources as well as Win8China for the story.
With a considerable amount of ground to make up already on the various app hubs available from the likes of Apple, Microsoft needs to deliver the goods with its Windows 8 Store, and the Redmond company has now released details via the MSDN Blog of how its new store will distribute apps.
Microsoft's Windows 8 marks a significant change in direction for the Redmond company's landmark operating system, and although the software maker had previously offered a release bracket, Steven Sinosfky has put minds and speculation to rest by announcing it will begin retailing on Friday 26th October.
The last horse looks to be crossing the finishing line in the run-up to the release of Microsoft's Windows 8 operating system. The metro-laden eight edition of the market leading OS will Release to Manufacturing (otherwise known as RTM) in the first week of August, with the retail edition following in late October.
The war of the operating systems has almost reached a boiling point, with Microsoft all but ready to push out the final build of Windows 8 and Apple looking likely to release OS X Mountain Lion later on this month, it represents nothing but a winning situation for the consumer. Windows 8 has been receiving some fantastic reviews from people who feel Microsoft have really stepped up with this version, with the only real contentious point being the price of the OS in comparison to Apple's $19.99 Mountain Lion offering.
It doesn't matter which company we are talking about, or what software or hardware they are intending to release, there is always going to be something which users will never like. In this instance, Microsoft is a company involved, and the product is the rather beautiful looking Windows 8. A few feathers were ruffled and noses disjointed when the Redmond company took the decision to remove the Start button from the Consumer Preview of Windows 8.
The next version of Microsoft Windows is just a few weeks away from completion and release, folks! After months of speculation, leaks, controversial keynotes and demonstrations, Developer/Consumer Previews, we’re closing in on the feature-complete RTM build. A report published earlier today suggests that the final build will be available in July. Details after the jump!
