| Microsoft Confirms Windows 8.1 RTM |  By Paul Thurrott | Microsoft on Tuesday confirmed that Windows 8.1 had reached the Release to Manufacturing (RTM) milestone, a phase in development in which the product in question is typically considered complete. But the firm also confirmed my report that it would continue updating Windows 8.1 between RTM and general availability (GA), and for this reason it is not providing early access to the "complete" RTM bits. "Just 10 months after delivering on a bold, generational change in computing with Windows 8, our team is proud to share that we have started releasing Windows 8.1 and Windows RT 8.1 to our hardware partners," Microsoft corporate vice president Antoine Leblond wrote in a post to Blogging Windows. "Windows 8.1 is a significant update. We have delivered in a very short time an update to the OS that will bring an even greater unified experience for our customers." | | ADVERTISEMENT | INETA: THE NEXT STEP IN USER GROUP EVOLUTION
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| | | I previously revealed that Microsoft had RTM'd Windows 8.1 while the team was signing off on the code on Friday in a series of tweets on Twitter. But in Microsoft Finalizes Windows 8.1 Development, I noted further that Microsoft would use the time between RTM and GA to continue testing Windows 8.1 in anticipation of releasing a set of interim fixes, called Quick Fix Engineering (QFE) updates, to PC and hardware makers. Leblond confirmed this report. "While our partners are preparing exciting new devices, we will continue to work closely with them as we put the finishing touches on Windows 8.1 to ensure a quality experience at general availability on October 18th," he says. "This is the date when Windows 8.1 will be broadly available for commercial customers with or without volume licensing agreements, our broad partner ecosystem, subscribers to MSDN and TechNet, as well as consumers." And yes, you read that right: In an unprecedented move, Windows 8.1 will not be made available to MSDN and TechNet subscribers—or anyone else—before GA. This was first reported a full two weeks ago by Mary Jo Foley at ZDNet, who noted that Microsoft almost immediately made Windows 8 available to these subscribers when that OS RTM'd a year ago. Leblond's explanation for the release delays between RTM and GA make sense on the, ahem, surface—it is indeed true that "times have changed" as he notes—but falls apart under scrutiny. When you deliver software to customers as if it were a service, that means you're not bound by past methods of deployment and distribution. When software is complete, you should deliver it to those that want it immediately. Try to imagine Google finishing a version of its Chrome web browser—or better yet, Chrome OS—and then telling customers about it and then literally withholding it from them. For two full months. Furthermore, the "Metro" environment that sits at the heart of the controversy that is Windows 8/RT is objectively a failure with both developers and users. Why would the firm withhold this new version of the software from the few developers that are actively supporting the platform? This is just another reason for developers to focus their efforts over the next two months on popular platforms like iOS, Android, and the web, and do so as we head into the critical holiday selling period of the worst year for Windows in over 20 years. For all of the talk about doing things differently, Microsoft has seemingly forgotten the importance of its relationship with those who really matter to the platform. And by alienating them in this way, they will make an already ambiguous and tense situation worse. It's not just avoidable, it's illogical and pointless. | | Comment on this article... | | Windows Server 2012 R2 Has Also Hit the RTM Milestone | | By Paul Thurrott | Lost a bit in all the Windows 8.1 controversy this morning, Windows Server 2012 R2 has also hit the Release to Manufacturing, or RTM, milestone. Of course, that makes sense as Windows 8.1 and R2 are simply different versions of the same product. "Today I am proud to announce a big milestone: Windows Server 2012 R2 has been released to manufacturing," Microsoft's Brad Anderson wrote in a post to the firm's In The Cloud blog. "This means that we are handing the software over to our hardware partners for them to complete their final system validations; this is the final step before putting the next generation of Windows Server in your hands." You can find out more about the Windows 8.1 RTM in the article Microsoft Confirms Windows 8.1 RTM. As with the client versions of Windows 8.1, which include both x86 and ARM (Windows RT) variants, this RTM milestone does not mean that any customers—even TechNet and MSDN subscribers—will be getting R2 ahead of its October general availability (GA) milestone. Instead, Microsoft will again hold back this release until it's actually finished. "Because this release was built and delivered at a much faster pace than past products, and because we want to ensure that you get the very highest quality product, we made the decision to complete the final validation phases prior to distributing the release," Anderson explains. "It is enormously important to all of us here that you have the best possible experience using R2 to build your private and hybrid cloud infrastructure." Put another way, like Windows 8.1, Windows Server 2012 R2 is not actually "complete," regardless of the RTM milestone. On a related note, Anderson also noted that a new version of the Windows Intune cloud management service would go live at the same time as Windows Server 2012 R2 GA in late October. |
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| Latest Blog Posts | Windows 8.1 RTM Screenshots Leak
Tech blogs are beginning to leak imagery from the final, RTM version of Windows 8.1, including new Start screen backgrounds, and default lock screen and desktop wallpaper images. Here's a rundown of what's leaked so far.
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With other tech blogs leaking information about Nokia's "Sirius" tablet, it's time to come clean on what I know. And yes, I can confirm that the rumors are true: Nokia will soon launch a 10.1-inch Windows RT-based tablet.
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Alan Mendelevich has an interesting post on the AdDuplex Blog that examines Windows 8 device stats. According to his firm's data, Surface RT represents 9.5 percent of all Windows 8 devices used worldwide, while Surface Pro is just 1 percent. But the big news, perhaps, is a hint about coming Surface 2 models and that rumored Nokia tablet running Windows RT.
How the Microsoft Account Aliases Changes Impact Windows, Windows Phone and Xbox 360
This past week, Microsoft made a subtle but profound change to the way your Microsoft account handles aliases. This change, which replaces the old rename mechanism, lets you switch your primary alias with a secondary alias, and do so on the fly. Here's how doing so will impact your sign-ins on Windows 8/RT, Windows Phone 7.x/8, and Xbox 360. | |
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