Microsoft has announced the release on October 26 of its
next-generation operating system tailored for a world that is shifting
from personal computers to smartphones and tablets.
Windows unit boss Steven Sinofsky revealed the
Windows 8 debut date at a sales meeting yesterday, Microsoft
communications manager Brandon LeBlanc said in a blog post, adding, it
will be available in 109 languages across 231 markets worldwide.
Microsoft has promised to make the new operating
system available in August for computer, tablet or smartphone makers to
build into hardware.
It “is simply the biggest deal for this company in
at least 17 years,” Microsoft chief Steve Ballmer said last week,
referring to the time since the launch of the game-changing Windows 95
operating system.
“It’s the glue; it’s the foundation of everything
Microsoft is built on.” Microsoft reported that it has sold more than
630 million licenses of Windows 7, and that the software powers the
majority of business desktop computers. Windows 7 went public in October
2009.
The latest version of the operating system that is
the norm for personal computers will also be used on many smartphones
and tablet computers, including Microsoft’s own Surface tablet to be
launched this year.
The Redmond, Washington-based firm has gone on
record stating that Surface tablets would hit the market when the
Windows 8 operating system became publicly available. (AFP)
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