Windows 8 Release Preview Launch Expected Today, Microsoft Prepares For Its Next Step In The Mobile Dominated Market

Microsoft's Windows 8 Release Preview could launch today, May 31st, as indicated by an accidental blog post from a company executive.Tech news source Neowin was the first to spot the post,which was almost immediately taken down.

The release preview for Microsoft's next operating system was originally expected to debut within the first week of June. However, the blog post written by the company's Chuck Chan in the early morning hours of May 31st has revealed that it would come earlier than planned.

Chan, the Corporate Vice President of Windows Development Team, published the news to the Windows Hardware and Developer Blog. He wrote that the Release Preview will be made available today, signing the post as Chuck Chan, May 31st. The Microsoft executive's words were removed two minutes after being published, leaving the blog empty for now.

Internal sources have confirmed to Neowin that the blog post is accurate, the website says, and that links included in the post will go live on May 31st.

This debut matches up with the schedule outlined by Michael Cherry, an analyst with Directions on Microsoft, who said that the build would premiere three months after the Consumer Preview. ComputerWorld reports that according to Cherry's calendar, Microsoft had to deliver the Release Preview by the end of May and the Release to Manufacturing edition by the end of August. This is particularly crucial, as it determines when code will be made available to PC manufacturers.

With its revamped operating system, Microsoft will be taking larger strides towards placing an emphasis on the mobile market. In an effort to keep up with a technology era moving beyond the PC, the company will focus on apps and the integration of its Metro-style interface, first seen in Windows 7.

But perhaps one of the clearest indications of Microsoft's shift to the mobile realm is the incorporation of ARM chips, according to BusinessWeek. This technology is used in mobile devices such as the iPad, and Windows 8 will be the first of Microsoft's operating systems to integrate these chips. However, these ARM-based devices will only be able to run apps designed specifically for Windows 8. In turn, Microsoft is clamoring to develop an array of apps for its newly-designed OS, and has been recruiting design firms, interns, and engineers for the endeavor.

Users are wasting no time in showing their eagerness to get their hands on Microsoft's new venture. On May 30^th a version of the Windows 8 Release Preview reportedly leaked in China, ComputerWorld also reported. Administrator for the WinLeaked forum known as Canouna heavily advocated the Build 8400 file, posting on Twitter that the leak was 100 % LEGIT.

No official release date has been specified for the finalized version of Windows 8, but analysts expect it launch in October at the same price as Windows 7.