Microsoft has been promoting October 26th as the official launch date of Windows 8 for some time now. But it looks like a PC maker has teamed up with a well known TV cable shopping channel to bypass Mircrosoft's launch date.
HSN (Home Shopping Network) has posted up a selection of Windows 8-based PCs from Acer (under its own name and its Gateway brand) on the HSN.com website. ZDNet.com confirmed that the notebook and all-in-one PCs being sold on the site not only have Windows 8 pre-installed, they are also available for immediate shipment to customers.
Two of the five Acer PCs, a notebook with a 15.6 inch screen, and an all-in-one with a 23 inch screen, have touch screen hardware made for the "Modern" Windows 8 UI. Unfortunately, as ZDNet.com also points out, all of these PCs from Acer come with a ton of bloatware that will be pre-installed on these products.
So far, no other retailer or PC maker is selling PCs with Windows 8 pre-installed, although Origin PC did announce last week that they were taking pre-orders for Windows 8 products that would ship out on October 26th. We have emailed Microsoft to see if they wish to comment on this apparently breaking of their sales embargo by Acer and HSN.com.
Update: The Acer Windows 8 PCs have now been removed from the HSN.com website
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