As readers of the Fix My PC Free blog probably know, Windows 8 is currently in development and is expected to be released later this year. However, up until today, Windows 8 had been labelled with a vague “second half of 2012” release date, which didn’t exactly narrow it down.
The timing of the Windows 8 Consumer Preview led many to assume that the full operating system would be released in October of 2012. And earlier this morning, Microsoft’s CFO Tami Reller confirmed that Windows 8 is on track for a late October release date.
The announcement was made at a meeting for “Microsoft Partners”, which are the hardware manufacturers that Microsoft works with to sell software (like Acer, ASUS, and Toshiba, among others).
The development path for Windows 8 looks like this:
-The ‘gold’ version of Windows 8 will be released to manufacturers in about a month. The gold version is basically a finished copy of the operating system.
-After receiving their copies of Windows 8, these manufacturers (also known as OEMs) will have about two months to finalize their hardware designs and load Windows 8 onto their devices. During this time, Windows 8 errors will be fixed to ensure a smooth, glitch-free release. Microsoft wants to give its partners enough time to optimize their devices for the final copy of Windows 8.
-Towards the end of October, Microsoft will officially release Windows 8, officially allowing Windows 8 devices to enter the market
Ultimately, nothing is set in stone, and tech industry release dates can change at a moment’s notice. For now, however, it looks like consumers can expect to see Windows 8 in time for Halloween.