Windows 8 release date announced - October 28th

We don't usually mention software on GameArena, but given how integrated gaming is supposed to be into the Windows experience from now on, it seems important to note that Windows 8 will be hitting the shelves on October 26. The new operating system comes in four different flavours - customers can purchase either Windows 8 or Windows 8 Pro, with Windows RT being built for ARM based devices (like tablets and phones) and Windows Enterprise being available through volume licensing.

If you've bought a computer running Windows 7 since June 2nd, you'll be able to get a copy of Windows 8 Pro for a pittance through Microsoft's Windows 8 Upgrade Offer. The price of Windows 8 and Pro for those of us without new computers will still be incredibly cheap compared to how much we've had to fork out for the Operating System in the past, with Microsoft detailing the various methods on the Windows blog.

One thing to note though - upgrading instead of getting a full copy and installing fresh might seem like a better option given its price, but it adds a lot of hassle if you ever need to reinstall - you'll have to install Windows 7 (or Vista or XP) and then upgrade to Windows 8.

The standard version of the Surface - Microsoft's sleek new tablet - is set to launch at the same time as Windows 8, with the beefier version launching three months later. While history tells us Windows 8 will launch worldwide on the same date however, Surface is likely to only hit the US in October, coming to Australia at some point in the future.

Are you looking forward to Windows 8? It's weird to look forward to software, but I kind of am. It's like a new toy, I can puzzle out its secrets and make it look all fancy. I haven't had much time to play about with the Release Preview yet, how about you? Answer my questions in the comments! Do it now!