 "General availability of Windows 8.1 OS may have been pushed to October")
There has been a considerable amount of excitement surrounding the Windows 8.1 OS – its features, improvements, et al, and after the initial hoopla, enthusiasts are eagerly awaiting the general availability of this OS. Now, if reports are to be believed, the Redmond, Washington-based company will not release the final update to the OS before October.
According to ZDNet, while Microsoft will meet its RTM target for OEMs as scheduled, sources claim that the final Windows 8.1 bits will be made available only in mid-October 2013—the date for general availability and launch. The company though has still not confirmed that.
Rumours galore!
Tami Reller, Windows CMO and CFO had revealed at the company’s annual Worldwide Partner Conference (WPC) that Windows 8.1 RTM will reach OEM partners in late August. Simply put, starting late August OEMs will be able to prep devices running the Windows 8.1 OS.
At the event in Houston, Texas, the company also demoed the features on the new OS. Microsoft’s Jensen Harris showed off some of Windows 8.1’s features and functionality. He showed how the new OS has been optimised to work on small-form-factor devices and in portrait view. He demoed the OS’ Reading List App that lets users share articles from the web and content from other apps for reading later. Harris also demoed the search experience on Windows 8.1, powered by Bing.
The company also revealed some new hardware requirements for Windows 8.1 certified devices last month. Reportedly, all certified Windows 8.1 systems will have to support Bluetooth on all devices with Wi-Fi. Moreover, systems with integrated displays like tablets, notebooks and all-in-ones will be required to support front-facing 720p cameras. It has also stated high-fidelity audio requirements for speakers and microphones. In 2015, all certified Windows devices will have to support TPM 2.0 or Trusted Platform Module, which is a spec and implementation for a cryptoprocessor. We may not see these prerequisites for a while, as they will be implemented for devices starting 2014 and 2015.
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