This week, Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer kicked off the 2013 Microsoft Worldwide Partner Conference (WPC) with Windows 8.1 "Blue" front and center. He piled on his usual hyperbolic praise ("nothing short of the most remarkable replatforming of Windows, basically since 1995"), tacitly acknowledged
criticism of Windows 8, and announced that the final version (RTM, or release to manufacturing) would go to PC makers in late August so that they could sell PCs with Windows 8.1 preinstalled before the holiday season -- especially for those planning to offer mini tablets,
which Windows 8 does not support well.