Windows 8 Said To Start Manufacturing in April

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Admittedly, no one’s following Windows 8 news quite as hard as they’re following, say, iPhone 5 news, but there’s new word out all the same: seems that the newest installment of Windows may be hitting manufacturers this April, giving a little extra boost to earlier word about a summer 2012 release.

The word came down that the RTM date, otherwise known as “release to manufacturing”, was looking at April. And if this date is on, the next step is actual official release, which would generally follow a few months afterward so they had all the copies they need to sell. Windows 7, for example, started with an RTM in July 2009, then was launched in October.

But here’s where things get interesting. Keep those April and “summer” dates in your head for a second, and consider this. The same word that provided the RTM date says that there will be a beta version of Windows 8 showing at Microsoft’s September Build conference. So now, we have a timeline shaping up: beta in September, RTM in April, release in “summer”.

We’ve already been hearing an assortment of hints about this–Steve Ballmer actually dropped the dime on the whole thing for next year before Microsoft proper started sweating press releases disputing the timing–so it does line up fairly nicely.

Even better, a September release would allow Microsoft et al to have a new product–indeed, a series of new products if you count all the tablets and laptops and desktops that would run on the new operating system–just in time for the Christmas shopping season to get started in earnest, not to mention getting in on the back to school sales. Plus it would let them stay out of the intense crossfire that would be generated by the rumored Apple releases for this year. This year may be about Apple, but it’s looking like 2012 is Microsoft’s year.

So what do you guys think here? Is Microsoft planning to hold off on a new OS until next year? Should they be looking to take the fight right to Apple as much as possible? Or will this prove to be another chunk of vaporware? However you feel about it, we want to know about it, so head on down to the comments section and speak your piece!