Every now and then, a big software release is leaked during development to the broad audience mainly because the software manufacturer wants to check customers’ reactions to the path they are taking. When news came that Windows 8 leaked, many people frowned for two reasons. First, it has never before happened to Windows, on purpose or not. Second, so short after a very good release, which Windows 7 undoubtedly is, to bring out a new operating system is as close to suicide as you can get. Microsoft made the mistake already twice, fiddling with a good operating system for no real reason, and releasing a new version prematurely. The Windows Me, right after Windows 98 and before Windows 2000 was such a dud. Vista was somewhat less of a dud than Me, but a poor operating system that never really worked properly.
Windows 8, a true leak or not?
Torrent and P2P sites boasted a little while ago that an early version of Windows 8 is available for download. There were not all drivers available for Windows 7 for download, but already the new operating system is being developed beyond the basic functionality phase? It sounded incredible and it was. The leaked Windows 8 was nothing but a dressed up Windows 7, whereby some people figured it might have been the “Milestone 1” version of the program. Be it as may, it looked and worked like the Windows 7.
Did Microsoft not announce Windows 8 officially?
There was an announcement at the Las Vegas show commonly known as the Consumer Electronics Show, where Microsoft announced that they are indeed developing Windows 8, whereby the idea is to include support in this particular operating system for mobile ARM and system-on-a-chip processors. A tentative release date has been rumored to be somewhere in the late 2012, but estimates are that it will most definitely be later than that. (more…)
