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Windows 8 gets a date: 10/26

by 5 Comments

Microsoft exec Steven Sinofsky announces the date at an internal event in Atlanta. (Microsoft photo)

Microsoft will launch Windows 8 on Friday, Oct. 26, the company announced today.

Windows president Steven Sinofsky announced the date this afternoon at Microsoft’s internal sales conference in Atlanta. The company had previously said Windows 8 would reach general availability in late October, but executives hadn’t given a specific date.

Windows 8 is the biggest change in the flagship operating system since Windows 95, as the company tries to remake the interface to work across tablets and traditional computers.

No word on the release date for Microsoft’s Surface tablet computers. The company has said previously that the machines will be available around the same time as Windows 8.

The October timeframe is something of a tradition for Windows, but the Friday launch is unusual. Windows XP was launched on Oct 25, 2001, a Thursday; and Windows 7 debuted on Oct. 22, 2009, also a Thursday. (Windows Vista debuted on Jan. 30, 2007, a Thursday, after a devastating delay that caused the operating system to miss the holiday season.)

And for the record, Windows 95 launched on Aug. 24, 1995, a Thursday.

  • Molo

    Great! The day can’t come soon enough.

  • http://www.christopherbudd.com Christopher Budd

    For a little trivia fun, here’s a list of other big events in history on October 26: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/October_26.

  • Sam Clark

    Congrats to all the hardworking Microsoft people that make Windows a reality. Thanks ! The world is a better place from your efforts.

  • Bizdevguy

    Interesting. The day after Q1FY13 earnings. not particularly meaningful, just noting. After a few days with Office 2013, I’m super-interested in release date for that. Favorite feature so far: Cursor stop blinking when you type. Small thing, but it really makes writing feel much smoother. Also lots of great ‘gestury’ effects in Excel on selection movement and editing.

  • Sally Longden

    Can’t wait. I love Microsoft products! Have looked at Apple and just don’t get the sheep?