Microsoft unveils Windows 8, new tablet
Microsoft's SURFACE Credit: Microsoft's SURFACE. (Getty Images)
Microsoft launched its new Windows 8 operating system and Surface tablet on Thursday in a bid to revive interest in its flagship product and regain ground lost to Apple and Google in mobile computing.
"We've re-imagined Windows and we've re-imagined the whole PC industry,"
Microsoft chief executive Steve Ballmer told Reuters Television early Thursday ahead of the launch.
Windows 8 devices and the company's new Surface tablet, which aims to challenge Apple's popular iPad head on, go on sale at midnight on Thursday.
Steven Sinofsky, head of Microsoft's Windows unit and the driving force behind Windows 8, opened the launch event in New York in front of about 1,000 media and PC industry partners.
He showed off Windows 8's new look, but stressed that the system was built upon the base of Windows 7, Microsoft's best-selling software that recently passed 670 million license sales.
The new design of Windows, which dispenses with the Start button and features square tiles for apps, may surprise some users. Initial demand appeared solid, but customers were wary.
Early reviews of the Surface tablet were mixed, with praise for its slick hardware, but concerns about battery life and limited software and applications available.
"We've seen steady pre-order sales on Windows 8 devices from early adopters," said Merle McIntosh, senior vice president of product management at online electronics retailer Newegg. "However, we expect that most average consumers are waiting until after launch to make a purchase decision."
Investors were uncertain about the prospects for success of Windows 8, but many feel a solid launch could help Microsoft's stock, which languished between $20 and $30 during the last decade.
Apple's shares have significantly outperformed Microsoft's over the past 10 years, and its market value is now more than double Microsoft's.
"This really is about debunking the notion that Microsoft is a dinosaur and they are relevant in a new climate of tablets and mobile," said Todd Lowenstein at HighMark Capital Management, which holds Microsoft shares.
