Windows 8 & new Office suite set for October release

Microsoft's latesta nd some would say best operating system Windows 8 will be out in October, claimed an AFP news report this morning.

"This will be the biggest product and services launch year in our company's history," Microsoft chief executive Steve Ballmer said at an annual gathering of gadget makers and other partners Toronto, Canada.

The company said 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," Ballmer told the gathering at the annual Worldwide Partner Conference.

"It's the glue; it's the foundation of everything Microsoft is built on." The latest version of the operating system that is the norm for personal computers will also be used on many smartphones and tablet computers, including Microsoft's own Surface tablet to be launched this year.

The Washington-based firm has gone on record stating that its new Surface tablets would hit the market when the Windows 8 operating system became publicly available. Windows 8 allows users readily to store and share personal data among various devices under the "SkyDrive" cloud computing service.

The new Microsoft system will also support a wider range of devices, including touch- and stylus-based smartphones and tablet PCs as well as desktop and laptop machines, claimed the AFP report.

Windows 8 has been tailored for chips used to power various mobile devices with the software giant trying to expand its presence in the booming global market for smartphones and tablets, which is currently dominated by Apple, Google and Samsung.

Microsoft also said it will soon release a new version of its popular Office software suite, which will be called Office 365 Open.