Today at Microsoft’s Worldwide Partner Conference (WPC) in Houston, Texas, the company’s Windows CMO and CFO Tami Reller announced that the Windows 8.1 RTM update will be ready to ship to manufacturers by late August. She stopped short of revealing at what point the end user will be able to install Windows 8.1 update, but if history is anything to go by, we should be seeing Windows 8.1-running devices in time for the all-important holiday season.
At this year’s WPC keynote, Microsoft showcased Windows 8.1 across a wide range of devices. Like Windows 8 before it, the OS is designed for tablets like Microsoft’s own Surface as well as desktops and notebooks, and although many a user had something to say about the changes made with Windows 8, it would appear as though the Redmond company has listened to the voices of consumers and have delivered on their promise in the long shot.
As a result, Windows 8.1 packs in a whole host of useful features, and with the new Miracast support offering a streaming system à la AirPlay, there’s much to look forward to.
Since OEMs will be getting their hands on Windows 8.1 RTM late in August, the current Windows 8.1 Preview version likely offers a very solid representation of the final build, and although changes will no doubt still be made in the next couple of months, what we’ve seen so far would appear to be a relatively solid representation of the end product.
Personally, I am of the opinion that Windows 8 wasn’t all that bad. Moving from a strict desktop experience to one that caters to mobile as well was never going to be easy, and compromises were always going to be made.
The tiled /Modern interface is most definitely here to stay, but with a more traditional looking Start button next time around, hopefully there will be less screaming and kicking from those skeptical upgraders.
So, if you’re waiting with great anticipation for Windows 8.1 to manifest itself, you probably won’t be sitting on Windows 8 (or whatever your current OS may be) for too much longer. We will be sure to let you know of any further developments pertains the release of Windows 8.1, so stay tuned to our around the clock coverage here at Redmond Pie.
(Source: WindowsTeamBlog)
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