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Tag: MSDN

  • Microsoft Backtracks On Windows 8.1 Availability, Developers Can Get It Now

    In late August, Microsoft announced that Windows 8.1 was shipping out to OEMs. In the same announcement, Microsoft said that subscribers to its MSDN or TechNet services would not get early copies of Windows 8.1. As we learned from the Xbox One debacle, however, Microsoft will relent when enough people complain.

    Microsoft announced today that Windows 8.1 RTM is now available to subscribers to MSDN and TechNet. This ensures that developers get a head start on making apps for Windows 8.1 before it launches to consumers in October.

    So, what changed between late August and now? The people who pay Microsoft an annual fee rightly complained that getting Windows 8.1 at the same time as everybody else was unfair and, frankly, really stupid.

    Here’s what Microsoft’s Steven Guggenheimer had to say about it:

    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. 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.

    As you can see above, Microsoft apparently didn’t know how to best approach developer needs as it moved to a rapid release schedule. Sure, developers could download the Windows 8.1 Preview, but it didn’t give them the full feature set that OEMs got in late August. Perhaps Microsoft felt that the Windows 8.1 Preview was enough, but that line of thinking makes a MSDN or TechNet subscription completely unnecessary. Giving Windows 8.1 to developers now will instill some faith lost in Microsoft after the company initially announced its launch plans.

    On a final note, Windows 8.1 isn’t the only early release that developers can get a hold of through their subscription. They can also download Windows 8.1 Pro, Windows Server 2012 R2 RTM and Visual Studio 2013 Release Candidate. The Windows builds can be downloaded only through your MSDN or TechNet subscription, but the Visual Studio 2013 RC can be downloaded by anyone. You can grab that here.

    [Image: WindowsVideos/YouTube]

  • Windows Store Now Open For All Developers

    Windows Store Now Open For All Developers

    One of the big selling points of Windows 8 is that it’s adding something similar to Apple’s App Store in the form of the, you guessed it, Windows Store. It will feature all the apps and games that people have built for Windows 8 in one easy to find place. That very store has some developers crying foul, but most seem to like the idea of a centralized location to find Windows software.

    Developers who want to launch with a Windows 8 app can now start submitting as Microsoft has opened the Windows Store to all. It was previously available to a select few developers who were pushing content through the Windows Store to people who were using the consumer previews. The apps submitted to the Windows Store today and after will be up by the launch of Windows 8 on October 26.

    As part of the announcement, Microsoft is also opening the Windows Store up to 82 additional markets. After this latest addition, the Windows Store will be available in 120 markets at launch. They encourage developers from these new markets to start submitting apps for their local users.

    Developers who are already members of the Microsoft Developer Network will receive a free one year Windows Store developer account. Students who are interested in developing for Windows 8 can also get a free account by signing up for DreamSpark. BizSpark, Microsoft’s development program for businesses, will also receive the same perk.

    People who aren’t yet signed up for a developer account can do so now. It costs $49 for an individual and $99 for a company. Windows 8 might take off so it’s in a developer’s best interests to get their product on as many platforms as possible.

  • Windows 8 Has Gone Gold, Developers Get It On August 15

    All of us lowly consumers must wait until October 26 to get our hands on the newest operating system from Microsoft. If you want to get it early, you will either have to work for an OEM or be a developer.

    The Windows 8 team announced today that they have hit the first major milestone in pushing Windows 8 to market. The OS has gone gold and is now being shipped to the OEMs that are already building new hardware around the Windows 8 operating system. This puts us in the final stretch that’s leading up to the release of Windows 8 in October.

    As part of the announcement, Microsoft shared that Windows 8 has been the largest beta that the company has ever hosted. Across all three previews for Windows 8, there have been more than 16 million PCs that have been equipped with the latest OS. Interestingly enough, 7 million of those installations came with the latest Release Preview.

    Developers and IT Professionals with Microsoft Developer Network accounts will be able to get Windows 8 early starting August 15. Here’s the breakdown:

    August 15th: Developers will be able to download the final version of Windows 8 via your MSDN subscriptions.

    August 15th: IT professionals testing Windows 8 in organizations will be able to access the final version of Windows 8 through your TechNet subscriptions.

    August 16th: Customers with existing Microsoft Software Assurance for Windows will be able to download Windows 8 Enterprise edition through the Volume License Service Center (VLSC), allowing you to test, pilot and begin adopting Windows 8 Enterprise within your organization.

    August 16th: Microsoft Partner Network members will have access to Windows 8.

    August 20th: Microsoft Action Pack Providers (MAPS) receive access to Windows 8.

    September 1st: Volume License customers without Software Assurance will be able to purchase Windows 8 through Microsoft Volume License Resellers.

    While the final build of Windows 8 has been sent off, Microsoft will be monitoring the Windows 8 experience from the consumer and OEM perspective. Expect there to be some major patches coming out on the day one launch for Windows 8. There will probably be some crazy OS breaking bug, but I wouldn’t have it any other way.