Microsoft will ship its Windows 8 'Release to Manufacturer' build to OEM partners the first week of August, and the operating itself will officially launch to the public by the end of October. Windows Chief Marketing Officer and Chief Financial Officer Tami Reller made these announcements at Microsoft's annual Worldwide Developer Conference in Toronto on Monday.
The news comes as no surprise, as Microsoft had previously stated it would make Windows 8 available in time for the holidays and many speculated that this meant an October release. But this is the first official release date the company has given since announcing Windows 8.
Once Windows RTM launches in August, Microsoft will turn on the commerce platform for apps in the Windows Store, allowing developers to make money off of their apps. (Currently, all apps are free in Windows 8 Release Preview.) Come October, users will be able to upgrade to Windows 8, as well as purchase new Windows 8 and Windows RT PCs, notebooks and tablets.
Reller also announced that more than 630 million licenses of Windows 7 have been sold. Microsoft is hedging its future on Windows 8, so it wants to convince its current users to make the switch. The company is pricing its Windows 8 upgrade accordingly, making it as cheap and easy as possible for current users to upgrade — a digital download will cost only $40, while a boxed DVD version will go for $70.
The move from a desktop-focused OS to the Metro UI is a huge bet and shift for the company. And with Windows RT and the Surface tablet, the company is making its first forays into the tablet market to compete with the iPad.
