You already know that Apple has released iOS 4.2 GM which will be the official version of iOS 4.2, but this GM has been released now for developers who want to update their applications to be compatible with iOS 4.2. The GM (Gold Master) versions were introduced by Apple with iOS 3.0 especially for developers and it seems that the tradition continues, especially since iOS 4.2 is an extremely important update for those who own iPad tablets because it will be the first iOS 4. x which will also work on the tablet. This summer, Apple released iOS 4.0 GM approximately 2 weeks before the release of the final version of iOS 4.0, so it is very possible that now things will stay exactly the same and by November 15 we will have the final version of iOS 4.2 available.
Of course, this is just an assumption, but it is based on past experiences with Apple and iOS 4.2 could be available even in a week if the developers move quickly and update their applications to be compatible with the new version of iOS. Anyway, before the availability of iOS 4.2 we will have a new version of iTunes, so Apple will probably "notify" us that it is launching iOS 4.2 a few days before it does.
