Microsoft has long danced around the exact availability date of Windows 8, but yesterday they announced that (without further delay) it will be launched for public use on October 26th. On this date, all Windows users will be able to purchase it through one of the many upgrade programs available, and it will also start being loaded onto new machines before they are sent to stores.

The exact date was shared with thousands of Microsoft salesmen at the Microsoft Global Exchange conference in Atlanta, according to the Windows blog posted on July 18th.

Windows 8 is supposed to be released for manufacturing in early August, and the Windows blog indicates that Microsoft is going to hold true to this date. The new versions of Windows Server and Visual Studio will supposedly be released at the same time, though neither program will be available to the public until late September at the earliest.

Business users that have already purchased licenses for Windows 8 products in late August, a full two to three months before the public is supposed to get their own home version. Currently, those with MSDN and TechNet subscriptions are not able to obtain Windows 8 bits, but Windows may still change their stance on this within the next few weeks.

Photo Credit: Microsoft

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