Microsoft Confirms Rumors; Officially Announces that Windows 8 Will Launch in October

[dgstorm]

For some months now we have heard rumor after rumor that Microsoft would launch it's latest Windows operating system, dubbed Windows 8, sometime in the Fall and likely October. Those rumors have now been confirmed by an official statement from the Redmond giant. Here's a quote with the details,

Microsoft announced on Monday during its annual Worldwide Partner Conference that its next-generation Windows 8 operating system will launch this October. The company confirmed that the Release to Manufacturing (RTM) version of its operating system is on track to be released to partners in August, and the final consumer version will be released in late October along with the first run of next-generation devices powered by the new operating system. Microsoft also said that users who purchase Windows 7 PCs today will be able to upgrade to Windows 8 Pro following its release for just $14.99.

So it looks like that Windows 8 will be available for OEMs to begin putting on their new PCs as early as August, and the final shipping retail version will come in October. It's also interesting to see that Microsoft is taking care of current PC purchasers by offering a very affordable upgrade option, in an effort to spur consumers to purchase a PC now rather than waiting.

Source: BGR