Rumor has it that Microsoft will release the public beta of its Windows 8 operating system in late February, 2012. The official release for Windows 8 is already known to be in 2012, and once the details emerge about the public beta release, the overall time frame for the OS will be more clear.
Microsoft engineers will likely make the official decision as to which parts of Windows 8 will be included when the public beta is released, but thus far, no information has been released concerning which parts are ready for action. Developers were hoping for an earlier date for the public beta release, however the Windows 8 OS seems to be making progress, and the 2012 official release year is looking solid.