Microsoft gives another strong hint about the release date for Windows 11 RTM

We already know a lot about Windows 11, thanks in part not only to the Microsoft PR machine, but also the preview builds that are available for everyone to try out. One thing that has been partly clouded in mystery, however, is just when the operating system will be released.

Microsoft has given various vague suggestions about Windows 11 being ready for the holiday season, and documentation shows the company accepting driver updates from hardware manufacturers until the end of September. The company has once hinted at an October launch date for Windows 11, and now this has been repeated, strengthening the belief that the release is now less than two months away.

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Via its official Twitter account, Microsoft shared an image of Windows 11 with dark mode activated, along with the words "aesthetically pleasing".

Discussion about just how pleasing Windows 11 is to the eye followed in the comments beneath the tweet, but it is a small detail in the image shared by Microsoft that it particularly interesting:

Look to the right-hand side of the taskbar and you'll see that the time is 11:11 -- almost certainly a reference to Windows 11. The date is showing 10/20/21; could this be a hint that October 20 is the launch date?

This would not be the first time that this date has been suggested as the release date for Windows 11, nor indeed the first time Microsoft has shared an image showing this date and time in the taskbar.

Microsoft is unlikely to give a firm release date until much closer to the day. This gives the company much greater flexibility and avoids the problem of missing self-imposed deadlines; two months is not long to wait until we find out for sure, though.