Windows developers are angry at Microsoft because it won't give them access to the final build of Windows 8.1 until its general availability release to the public in mid-October



From The Inquirer:

The firm announced on Tuesday that it had released the nearly final version of its Windows 8.1 service pack for Windows 8 to PC and tablet hardware makers, but said that it won't be released to the Microsoft Developer Network (MSDN) until the public release of Windows 8.1 on 17 October.

Microsoft's excuse for holding back the Windows 8.1 release to manufacturing (RTM) code from software developers and IT professionals apparently is that it isn't complete yet. "While our partners are preparing these exciting new devices, we will continue to work closely with them as we put the finishing touches on Windows 8.1," Microsoft spokesman Antoine Leblond said in a blog post. "In the past, the release to manufacturing (RTM) milestone traditionally meant that the software was ready for broader customer use. However, it's clear that times have changed."

  Developers slam Microsoft for late RTM of Windows 8.1