It's been a long, tough road for Windows users. Windows 7 was one of the best operating systems Microsoft has ever produced: it was fast, efficient and incredibly powerful. Unfortunately, Windows 7 was followed by Windows 8: a backwards, laggy, confusing mess of a system.

It was so bad that most people avoided upgrading like the plague, and most of those that use Windows 8 today do so because it's their only option. It's understandable why Microsoft wanted to unify its systems - it's just that the company went about it in the worst way possible.

Thankfully, the Windows 8 nightmare is almost over. Windows confirmed that its next operating system, Windows 10, is scheduled to hit sometime later this summer. It's been nearly three years since users were subjected to Windows 8, and the fact that the Windows 10 upgrade will be free just makes the wait feel that much longer.

That being said, the wait might not be that long after all: according to hardware developer AMD, Windows 10 is scheduled to hit sometime in late July.

According to the Verge, the Windows 10 release window was confirmed during an AMD conference call concerning the hardware developer's inventory. AMD's CEO Lisa Su stated that:

"With the Windows 10 launch at the end of July, we are watching sort of the impact of that on the back-to-school season..."

Considering how closely AMD works with Microsoft to ensure that their hardware is up to snuff, it's highly likely that the information is legitimate. There is a chance that Su misspoke, or that her information was somehow inaccurate, but let's be honest: if she's the CEO of one of the biggest hardware manufacturers in the world, she's probably got her facts straight.

Windows 10 has been the subject of a lengthy 'technical preview,' in which users can download in-progress versions of the operating system to test its features and user interface. It shows that Microsoft is learning from its mistakes, listening to its users and doesn't want to repeat the same mistakes it made with Windows 8. Many users claimed that Windows 8 was too clunky and confusing to use, and from what we've seen of Windows 10, the new operating system does a lot to rectify those issues.

It wouldn't take much for Windows 10 to be an improvement over Windows 8, but here's hoping that the operating system can match the standards set by Windows 7. Using a PC should be a simple experience, not a frustrating, backwards mess - with any luck, Windows 10 will be more of the former, and less of the latter.

All things considered, it looks like the OS will hit in July - at the very least, Microsoft has confirmed that Windows 10 will be released later this year.

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