14 DAY TRIAL // Even if all eyes have been on Windows XP this week, especially due to the fact that Microsoft announced that it would retire the 11-year-old OS in less than one year, new information emerged on Windows 8.1, the first overhaul of the rather disappointing Windows 8.
According to some new rumors on Windows 8.1, Microsoft could use this new release to bring together both the desktop and the mobile worlds, thus trying to work out a better integration plan for its future products.
Microsoft's decision to merge these two products is backed by the company's desire to challenge Android, Google's own player in the mobile market that's already experiencing a terrific success.
Some new reports concerning the Windows 8 successor have suggested that Microsoft is pondering a September launch for Windows 8.1, even though initial rumors indicated that August was very likely to witness the public debut.
Still, June seems to have more chances to bring us the first beta of Blue/Windows 8.1, especially thanks to the BUILD developer conference that'll take place that month in San Francisco.
Another interesting piece of information that has emerged this week concerns the preview version of Windows 8.1.
As we've told you several times before, Microsoft plans to release just a single testing build of the Windows 8 refresh, thus trying to bring the final product to the market a lot faster. Sources familiar with the matter have reported that this preview is already half-way here, as the company has reached one of the two development stages of the project.
Some new leaked screenshots that have surfaced on the web this week have confirmed that a new version dubbed Windows 8.1 Pro Preview is now tested by select developers, which means that Microsoft may be already one step ahead with this beta flavor.
The Softies, on the other hand, remain completely tight-lipped on the Blue project, so take all of this as a rumor until someone in the Redmond campus confirms it.