Details of Windows 8 launch revealed: RTM in August, general availability in October

9 Jul 2012

Windows’ chief marketing officer and chief financial officer Tami Reller announced to partners at Microsoft’s annual Worldwide Partner Conference in Toronto, Canada, that Windows 8 will see release to manufacturing (RTM) in the first week of August, with general release to follow by the end of October.

This means that, from October, consumers can expect to see new Windows 8 and Windows RT devices and upgrades available across 231 markets worldwide, in 109 languages.

Reller also noted that the commerce platform will be opened up to coincide with the operating system’s RTM so that developers can start to earn money for their apps.

Reller also had some revelations concerning the latest version of Windows on the market, Windows 7. Licences for the operating system have reached 630m, making it Microsoft’s best-selling operating system in history.

Elaine Burke is the host of For Tech’s Sake, a co-production from Silicon Republic and The HeadStuff Podcast Network. She was previously the editor of Silicon Republic.

editorial@siliconrepublic.com