Michael Silver, a Gartner analyst, also said the milestone dates are in line with his expectations, and that he doesn't see CIOs and IT managers hurrying to roll out Windows 8 to their users.

It will take many months for software vendors to support their products on the new OS, including makers of VPN systems, IT management products, security wares and the like.

"Meanwhile, many are still trying to upgrade their Windows XP PCs," he said via email. "For users that are interested in tablets, organizations may look to Windows 8, but for most PC users, they need to concentrate on Windows 7."

In fact, Windows 8 may never reach critical mass in the enterprise. "You'll likely see some good enterprise uptake on tablets/hybrids by late 2013 or early 2014, but by then we'll also likely be seeing betas of Windows 9," Silver said.

Windows 8 will be available in 109 languages and 231 markets worldwide.