ANAHEIM, Calif. - Microsoft Corp handed out 5,000 sleek Samsung tablet computers running atest version of Windows 8 at its annual developer conference on Tuesday, hoping to stokeexcitement over its new operating system.
The devices, powered by Intel Corp i5 chips, are thefirst chance for people outside Microsoft to play withWindows 8, the temporary code name for its next softwaresystem that includes features tailored for touchscreensand tablets. The company is betting the new system willstem the tide of consumers switching to Apple Inc's iPad.
Microsoft, whose software still runs more than 90 percent of personal computers, needs the newsystem to appeal to developers in the hope that they will create thousands of applications toattract users.
At the same time, it needs to lure a younger, tech-savvy audience and halt the march of Appledevices into Microsoft's business market, analysts said.
"Kids today are seeing more Apple logos than Microsoft logos, and Microsoft needs to changethat if they are going to continue being the force that they have been," said Michael Silver, ananalyst at tech research firm Gartner, who was attending the developer conference.
"If you look at where Apple is successful, it's from consumers who have more power to bring inwhat they use at home to the business," Silver said. "That's important for Microsoft to go after, toget this fixed."
Tablet makers are expected to start selling products with Windows 8 by the middle of next yearat the earliest.
The giant U.S. software company also hopes to woo an applications development communitythat has already taken to Google's Android and Apple, by making the process of building appsin a variety of computer languages simpler.
Developers worldwide can download a preview of Windows 8 from Microsoft beginning Tuesdayevening (at http://dev.windows.com ).
Microsoft Windows President Steven Sinofsky (R) with Vice President Michael Angiulo introducelaptops in development that will run its touch-enabled Windows 8 at the Build conference in Anaheim,California September 13, 2011.
The Windows 8 home screen is shown in this publicity photo released to Reuters September 13, 2011.
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