[OrsenPike]

This is the thing that has annoyed me the most about this whole thing. RTM has always meant "release to manufacturing and IT pros". If Microsoft wanted to change this fair enough but they shouldn't have called it an RTM if that isn't what they meant.

[reflectiv]

Yep, RTM is basically also known as a 'Gold' release or essentially the same thing end users will get - minus marketing materials and other assorted items that come along with a final consumer release.

They should not have called it RTM if it wasn't really RTM.

[marshray]

Feature Freeze, Feature Complete, Alpha, Beta, Release Candidate, Gold, Release To Manufacturing...

I've worked at a few software companies and none of them have used these terms quite the same way.

[OrsenPike]

Other companies are not the point here though. Microsoft is and they have been consistent in their use for the past two decades or more so why the sudden change?

[marshray]

http://allthingsd.com/20130626/ballmer-at-build-microsoft-mo...

[OrsenPike]

Sorry but I don't really see the link between that article and Microsoft's inconsistent use of the term RTM.

They can still move to a rapid release cycle and have a solid RTM. Chrome and Firefox manage to do it every 6 weeks.