Microsoft sets dates to Windows 8 Launch as Oct 26

Microsoft announced that its next-generation operating system Windows 8 tailored for smartphones and tablets will be available on October 26, a little more than three months from now. New PCs equipped with the operating system will go on sale the same day, said Microsoft spokesman Brandon LeBlanc in a post to the company’s blog.

Steven Sinofsky announced at Microsoft’s annual sales meeting that customers will be able to get Windows 8 – whether in upgrade fashion or on a new PC – starting on October 26th. Earlier this month at the Microsoft Worldwide Partner Conference, Tami Reller told attendees Windows 8 would be available in October. But now everyone has a specific date to mark on their calendars.

According LeBlanc, Windows 8 will be available in 109 languages across 231 markets worldwide.

It “is simply the biggest deal for this company in at least 17 years,” Microsoft chief Mr 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.”

After Windows 7 went public in October 2009, Over 600 million Windows 7 licenses sale has been recorded and that the software powers the majority of business desktop computers.

Windows 8 allows users readily to store and share personal data among various devices under the “SkyDrive” cloud computing service. Apple and Google major rivals for Microsoft also offer such services.

The new Microsoft system will support a wider range of devices, including touch and stylus-based smartphones and tablet PCs as well as desktop and laptop machines. Versions of Windows 8 have been tailored for chips used to power various mobile devices.

The software giant has been trying to expand its presence in the booming market for smartphones and tablets, which is currently dominated by Apple and Google.