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"Microsoft has confirmed that its new Windows 8 operating system for desktops, laptops and tablets will go on sale by the end of October. Speaking today (July 9) in Toronto at a Microsoft partner conference, Windows chief financial officer Tami Reller said that Windows 8 would reach &amp;quot;release to manufacturing&amp;quot; (RTM) stage in the first week of August.  Reller also confirmed that the much-vaunted new operating system would move to &amp;quot;general availability&amp;quot; by the end of October, meaning customers will then be able to download the software. All new PCs and laptops released after October will come with either Windows 8, or Windows RT for ARM-based machines.  Owners of older PCs and laptops will be able to upgrade their kit to Windows 8 for a cheap introductory price, Microsoft has announced.  The firm intends to offer free cloud storage via its SkyDrive system to every Windows 8 buyer. Reller also said today that Windows 8 will be available in 109 languages across 231 markets worldwide. Windows 8 is Microsoft&amp;#039;s first operating system which is optimised for traditional computing equipment and new touchscreen devices, via its Metro user interface.  Alongside PCs and laptops, Microsoft has also designed Windows 8 for a new generation of tablet devices, including its own Surface line of hardware.  At the RTM stage of release, Microsoft intends to turn on its new commerce platform so that developers can start earning money from their apps created for the Windows Store.  During the Windows 8 release preview launched in the year, all apps on the store have been free for people to try out.  Windows 7 was offered in both boxed and download forms, and it is expected that Windows 8 will follow this pattern. Also today, Reller shared some information about Windows 7, which is claimed to be the bestselling operating system in history.  She said that Microsoft has shifted 630 million Windows 7 licences to date, and that more than half the enterprise desktops in the world are running the OS.  "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://www.digitalspy.com/tech/news/a392446/microsofts-windows-8-to-go-on-sale-in-october/>