Bloomberg’s sources have verified what we’ve known all along: Windows 8 should RTM in October of this year. We’ve been saying that for a while, and it seems to follow the same time frame as Windows 7 did. I’m not sure who their sources are, but hopefully they are a bit closer to Microsoft than just those that follow Microsoft and their OS schedule.

The timing would let Microsoft target Christmas shoppers with the new software, which works with touch-screen devices as well as laptops and desktop PCs. The Redmond, Washington-based company, which hasn’t announced timing for the Windows 8 release, aims to take back sales lost to the iPad and reinvigorate the sluggish PC market. Apple (AAPL) released the third version of the iPad this month, creating an even bigger challenge for Microsoft.