In early June, we will get the chance to have a look at the latest flavor of Microsoft’s Windows 8 operating system, namely Windows 8 Release Preview.
This operating system version will become publicly available only a several weeks before the platform is released to manufacturing, and it should be followed by the final release sometime in October this year.
Windows 8 Release Preview will provide us with details on the latest touches that Microsoft brought to the platform in its way to making it a commercial product.
We already learned that there would be updated Metro applications included in the package, and it seems that they would be accompanied by a set of new apps.
A series of posts on the WinUnleaked forums suggests that Microsoft is set to include News, Sports, and Travel applications in Windows 8 Release Preview, and that all of them would be Metro style apps.
Apparently, Microsoft has already completed the final code internally, and that would be build 8400.winmain_win8rc.120518-1423.
Apparently, the software giant will make available four different Windows 8 SKUs with the Release Preview, namely Windows 8 (Core), Windows 8 Release Preview (Pro), Windows 8 Release Preview with Media Center (ProWMC) and Windows 8 Enterprise (VL).
Recently, Microsoft showed updates for applications included in Windows 8 Consumer Preview, such as Mail, Calendar, People, Messaging, Photos or Reader, all of which are meant to make a public appearance in the upcoming Release Preview.
The Redmond-based software giant has removed the “app preview” banner from these applications, and it also added functionality to them, rendering them ready for their official release.
A few weeks ago, Microsoft confirmed the public availability of Windows 8 Release Preview for the first week of June, and the day when it will make the move approaches fast. The company is expected to unveil the new OS flavor at Computex in Taiwan, or at the E3 conference in Los Angeles.