Microsoft (IW 500/12) unveiled a revamped version of its flagship Windows system Thursday designed for increasingly mobile consumers and previewed Surface, its entry into the hot tablet market.
The new Windows 8 operating system and the new tablet to go on sale Friday mark a new offensive for the U.S. tech giant seeking a new strategy to keep pace with Apple (IW 500/9) and Google and a dramatic shift away from PCs to mobile devices.
"Windows 8 brings together the best of the PC and the tablet," said Microsoft chief Steve Ballmer.
"What you have seen and heard should leave no doubt that Windows 8 shatters the perception of what a PC really is... It works perfect for work and play and it is alive with your world."
At a New York news event, Microsoft announced that Windows 8 will launch Friday in 37 languages and 140 worldwide markets. It can be downloaded beginning at 12:01 am local time worldwide and will be sold at retail stores.
Microsoft is also launching a version called Windows RT, designed for tablets and available pre-installed on new devices including its own Surface tablet.
Some analysts point out the Windows RT offers Microsoft a chance for a fresh start in controlling both hardware and software in a single device.
The new tablet system "represents the best shot Microsoft has against Apple and Google," said Roger Kay at Endpoint Technologies Associates. "WinRT is where things are going."
The software giant gambled by changing long familiar user interface features to make Windows 8 compatible with trends toward keeping programs and data in the Internet "cloud" and relying on mobile gadgets at work and at home.
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