Windows 10 Release Coming Soon, Reportedly

Earlier reports indicating Microsoft is wrapping up development on its Windows 10 operating system in the hopes of having it out sometime early in the summer seem to be accurate. A new report from those who’ve been accurate about Microsoft’s plans in the past peg the Windows 10 release for this coming July.

Technology website The Verge is reporting that Microsoft still has plans to finish developing and polishing its upcoming operating system for July. More specifically, the report says that “sources familiar with Microsoft’s plans” list July 29th as one of the Windows 10 release dates that Microsoft is considering.

For its part, Microsoft hasn’t said much about the Windows 10 release date beyond planning a launch for sometime “this summer.” Earlier this year Lisa Su, CEO of processor maker AMD also said that Microsoft is planning to release Windows 10 in July. Though she’d be in a position to know, many Microsoft watchers scoffed at the idea of the company meeting a summer deadline.

Mostly insiders thought the idea of a July Windows 10 release was off base because the operating system was still in such a rough state. When Su’s quote about the release first spread, Microsoft didn’t even seem to be in a place where it was polishing features. Lately,  Microsoft’s own employees have noted that the company is entering a polishing phase for Windows 10. Gabe Aul, who leads Microsoft’s Windows Insiders Preview initiative, told users to expecting less new features and a dramatic drop in bugs from the Windows Insider Previews going forward when announcing the latest Windows 10 Preview.

Read: 3 Early Reasons to Not Update to Windows 10

Windows 10 10122, the version of Windows 10 that Aul was discussing, does include some fine tuning and tweaks. The new Windows Store mostly works fine and the Cortana personal assistant that Microsoft said was coming to iPhones and Android devices later this year has a refreshed look. The Touch Mode built specifically for tablet users now hides the complete list of apps in a submenu on the left side of the screen, putting focus on Live Tiles for tablets once again.

If Microsoft is planning a July 29th or even early August Windows 10 release, than the company has a long month of bug fixes ahead. Even though Windows 10 seems feature complete there are bugs galore still left to tackle. That the operating system doesn’t always behave in the Windows Insider Preview is fine, users know what they’re getting into before ever installing it on their PC. Those at home aren’t likely to have mercy on Microsoft if the Windows 10 upgrade that they get is as buggy as what testers have now. For now it’s safe to ignore the reports of a buggy Windows 10, but not if they continue right up until that July launch.

Read: New Video Shows Magical Xbox One & Windows 10 Streaming

Despite what you might have heard, Windows 10 isn’t necessarily about making Windows more mouse and keyboard centric than Windows 8 was. Instead, Microsoft is trying a balancing act with the operating system. Mouse and keyboard users get what they’ve wanted since the release of Windows 8: A Start Menu that behaves like the Start Screen and lets them download Desktop apps from the Windows Store. Tablet users get more powerful, robust applications and the option to turn their device into a decent all-in-one when they connect a keyboard and mouse. Holding both halves experiences together is Continuum, a new option that lets users switch the tablet-centric touch mode when they’re ready or automatically.

Read: Windows 10 Upgrades – What You Need to Know & Don’t

Microsoft is planning to launch Windows 10 as a free update to Windows 8 and Windows 7 users. Windows Vista PCs should be able to upgrade, but users will need to pay for that and the company hasn’t discussed upgrade pricing for those who aren’t eligible for a free update.