Microsoft has officially announced that Windows 8.1 (formerly codenamed “Blue”) will be released to manufacturers in late August. Citing unnamed sources, ZDNet’s Mary Jo Foley says it is likely that Microsoft will release the update to current Windows 8 users at the same time instead of waiting a couple of months as the company usually does. She writes, “While new devices preloaded with the Windows 8.1 bits will probably not be out until late September/early October, I have heard that the general availability of the Windows 8.1 bits won’t be held back this time around. I think users will be able to get the 8.1 bits simultaneously or very shortly after RTM.”
For developers, that means end users could be running their applications on Windows 8.1 within just a few short weeks.
