Since last few months, we have been hearing lots of Windows 8 release related rumors on the Internet and now, ZDNet’s Mary-Jo Foley has posted another article to claim that Microsoft is going to RTM Windows 8 OS in April 2012.
According to her trusted source, Microsoft has changed the timetable for Windows 8 -
I’ve received new information from a trusted source that Microsoft is actually on track to release to manufacturing all Windows 8 versions by April 2012.
She also claims that Microsoft has made some changes in the development stages of Windows 8. The next generation Windows OS allegedly will be released in just single beta form and third party developers won’t get a chance to explore pre-beta or preview builds. This Windows 8 beta software build will be pushed in the month September and final Release Candidate (RC) build will arrive in January 2012.
I’ve also heard from my contact that Microsoft’s game plan is to deliver a beta build– not a pre-beta or preview — of Windows 8 around the time of the Build conference in mid-September. This allegedly will be the one and only Windows 8 beta, my contact said. In January 2012 or thereabouts, Microsoft will deliver a final Release Candidate (RC) test build of Windows 8, my source said.
Well, this is just another rumor, as Microsoft team can change their schedule again to suit the development process. Another thing that Foley mentioned in her post is that Windows 8 will have just one beta release, but it’s really difficult to believe on such rumor at this moment. Microsoft has already completed three milestone builds and is reportedly working on pre-beta builds of Windows 8.