Microsoft issues near-final version of Windows 8

Windows fans can now experience the near-final build of Microsoft's Windows 8, with the company releasing the 'release preview' of the operating system, as well as Internet Explorer 10, overnight.

 

The release is the last step before the software is delivered to PC manufacturers. Once that has happened, it will be up to them to decide when the software hits the market, but it could be as soon as a few months away.

 

Steve Sinofsky, president of Microsoft's Windows division, adds in a blog post that people who buy a new PC running Windows 7 today should have no trouble upgrading to Windows 8.

 

"RTM [Release to Manufacturers] itself is a product development phase, rather than a moment in time," Sinofsky says.

 

"We continue to roll out Windows 8 in over 100 different languages and we are preparing final products for different markets around the world. As that process concludes, we are done changing the code and are officially 'servicing' Windows 8.

 

It's been a long road to release for the OS, starting with a developer preview way back in September.

 

Millions of people around the world are already using the pre-release build, Sinofsky says, equating to 'hundreds of millions of hours of testing'.

 

"We genuinely appreciate the effort that so many have put into pre-release testing, and or course, we appreciate the feedback too," Sinofsky says.'

 

"Direct feedback and feedback through usage contributed to hundreds of visible changes in the product and tens of thousands of under-the-hood changes."

 

Go here to download the release preview.