Following criticism from TechNet and MSDN subscribers, Microsoft has announced plans to release the Core and Pro RTM builds for Windows 8.1 and Windows Server 2012 R2 to users of those services. Additionally, the release candidate build for Visual Studio 2013 will be provided to TechNet and MSDN subscribers.
In late August, Microsoft announced that development of the RTM builds of Windows 8.1 and Windows Server 2012 R2 had been completed. However, the company also announced it would not offer those builds to its TechNet and MSDN subscribers ahead of the Oct. 18 launch date for both operating systems. It was a decision that upset many software developers, who complained on Microsoft’s Windows blog that keeping the RTM files would be a hindrance in creating apps for both operating systems.
