Start your timer! Steven Sinofsky at Microsoft’s annual sales meeting has announced the much-anticipated release date of Windows 8 that it will hit store shelves on October 26th 2012. That means that consumers will be able to purchase OS as well as Surface RT tablet starting October 26.

Earlier this month at WPC Tami Reller told attendees Windows 8 would be RTM’d by first week of August and Software Assurance Customers can expect to have access as early as August.

Source: Windows Team Blog