Microsoft (Nasdaq: MSFT) is starting to get a little more specific about the release of Windows 8. On Monday, the company confirmed that its new operating system -- a bold upgrade that was designed with touchscreen devices in mind as well as traditional PC devices -- will ship to its partners in August. The retail consumer version will hit the market in late October.

The software giant had already turned heads a week earlier when it announced that PC users running XP, Vista, or Windows 7 will have to pay only $39.99 for a download of Windows 8 Pro. This week it revealed that anyone buying a Windows 7 PC as of this week will be able to receive an upgrade for just $15.

Microsoft isn't messing around. It wants to make sure PC users upgrade to its new platform quickly. It's a good way to make sure Microsoft doesn't repeat its lost decade.

Briefly in the news
And now let's take a quick look at some of the other stories that shaped our week.

  • Citigroup analysts booted Apple (Nasdaq: AAPL) off its Champions list. Really? The stock is selling for just 11 times next year's earnings, and it's growing a lot faster than that -- and that's not good enough?
  • Sirius XM Radio (Nasdaq: SIRI) revealed that it closed out its second quarter with 622,042 more subscribers than it had when the period began. The satellite-radio giant has now added more than a million net subscribers so far in 2012. I think it's safe to say that satellite radio is here to stay.
  • LinkedIn (NYSE: LNKD) took a hit on reports that Facebook (Nasdaq: FB) was working on a job board for its leading social-networking site. Disruptors can disrupt fellow disruptors, but maybe Facebook should be networking with the folks on LinkedIn if it wants some qualified help to make it happen.

Moving on
Now that you've had a glimpse of the past, let's delve into the future. A new report details the latest Rule-Breaking multibagger that has earned Fool co-founder David Gardner's attention. The report is free, and you're closer to it than you might think. Check it out now.