Steve Ballmer, the CEO of Microsoft has changed Microsoft to an extent, in the sense they have recognized that they are lagging when it comes to internet. The big win for Ballmer was Windows 7, which has received good reviews and that’s been reflected in great revenues for Windows 7.
Today, in Japan he announced that Windows 8 will be available by 2012. Here is the actual quote.
As we progress through the year, you ought to expect to hear a lot about Windows 8. Windows 8 slates, tablets, PCs, a variety of different form factors.
It has been expected that Windows will roll now new updates later this year or early in 2012, but there has been some ambiguity about what the next Windows version will be called. It seems it will be called Windows 8.
Why Windows 8 is crucial for Microsoft?
With the rise of tablets, the casual computer user might not opt to buy Windows for their PCs or Laptops. They might just opt for a tablet. There is also the added competition from Google’s Chromebook which might wean away a few users from Microsoft.
This makes Windows 8, the next update as crucial for Microsoft. It has already fallen behind Apple in terms of profitability. They surely will be hit hard if Windows 8 does not do as well as its predecessor.
Do you think Windows 8 will be as much a hit as Windows 7? Do drop in your comments.