Windows 8 arriving 2012: Ballmer spills the beans

There’s been plenty of Windows 8 leaks but Steve Ballmer has officially spilled the beans on when we can expect the next generation operating system to break cover…

At a developer conference in Tokyo, the Microsoft CEO told the audience that Windows 8 will ship in 2012. He said: “As we progress though the year, you ought to expect to hear a lot about Windows 8. Windows 8 slates, tablets, PCs, a variety of different form factors.” That distinction between slates and tablets is an odd one but Ballmer has been known to garble his words on occasion.

Besides confirmation that Windows 8 is dropping in 2012, very little else is known about what we can expect from the new OS besides promised support for ARM processors (Microsoft’s big hope in getting some traction in tablets), an overhaul of the UI, possible Kinect integration and a Windows app store

Expect to hear more on Windows 8 next week when the boss of the Window division, Steven Sinofsky, appears at the D: All Things Digital conference. We’ll be keeping a close eye on the event to see what clues he offers about Windows 8 and Microsoft’s tentative tablet plans.

Whatever happens, we can only dream that Ballmer cuts an ad as impressive as his classic Windows 1.0 spot:

Out 2012 | £TBC | Microsoft

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