Microsoft will this week send Windows 10 to PC manufacturers, signalling that the company thinks the operating system is fit for public consumption. Windows 10 is due to be put on general release in only three weeks' time.

Release to manufacturing (RTM) is normally a major milestone for Windows releases, a sign that Microsoft has locked down the code base until the first major patch. However, Windows is moving to a system of perpetual updates, which will see regular tweaks to the operating system, diminishing the importance of RTM.

With only three weeks to test, validate and pre-install the Windows 10 release candidate on new PCs, it's highly unlikely that you're going to see many - if any - Windows 10 PCs on the shelves come the July 29 launch date. It does, however, give PC manufacturers just enough time to get systems out before the back-to-school rush at the end of August, which will please the beleaguered OEMs and retailers alike.

Microsoft has rapidly accelerated test releases of Windows 10 over the past couple of weeks in anticipation of the big launch. The company has issued 13 different versions of Windows 10 to "fast ring" testers since October, three of which have arrived since June 29.

The stability of the operating system has improved in recent releases, although bugs still persist. Many Windows 10 testers were left in an upgrade loop last week, with Build 10159 refusing to install. Given that Microsoft is moving to this rapid release schedule, such flaws are of concern, although Microsoft will still continue to test new releases with so-called Windows Insiders (beta testers) before releasing them to the general public.

Microsoft yesterday announced that it would release a version of Minecraft for Windows 10 to coincide with the launch of the operating system.