The company has made the OS update available for developers

Sep 10, 2013 05:22 GMT  ·  By

Microsoft has officially announced that Windows 8.1 RTM is now available for download for subscribers of MSDN and TechNet services, thus giving developers a chance to get their apps ready for the big launch scheduled to take place in October.

The company initially planned to make the OS update available to everyone at the same time, but following developer complaints, the Softies decided to release the software a lot earlier.

“We heard from you that our decision to not initially release Windows 8.1 or Windows Server 2012 R2 RTM bits was a big challenge for our developer partners as they’re readying new Windows 8.1 apps and for IT professionals who are preparing for Windows 8.1 deployments,” Microsoft’s Chief Evangelist Steve Guggenheimer explained.

“We’ve listened, we value your partnership, and we are adjusting based on your feedback. As we refine our delivery schedules for a more rapid release cadence, we are working on the best way to support early releases to the various audiences within our ecosystem.”

Even though Microsoft doesn’t state it clearly, the reason behind this change of heart is most likely the recent leaks that already allow both end users and developers to try out Windows 8.1 RTM two months before the public debut.

Sources close to the matter revealed that Microsoft initially wanted to prevent any leaks of the Windows 8.1 OS update, hence the decision to delay the MSDN and TechNet launch.

At this point, lots of users out there are probably running Windows 8.1 RTM already, especially because activation is also possible using legitimate Windows 8 keys.

As for end users who want to wait for this update to go public, Microsoft will officially debut it on October 18, while Windows 8 adopters will be allowed to download it freely from the Store.