14 DAY TRIAL // Microsoft will release a live webcast of the Windows 8 launch, just like Apple did a few days ago when it released the new iPad mini.
The event will take place in New York and will begin at 11:15 A.M. EDT, according to an official statement released by Microsoft.
The company will also present the new Surface tablet during the same launch event, with Steve Ballmer expected to praise both the device and the attachable Black Touch Cover for a few minutes.
Once the event comes to an end, Microsoft will officially start its global marketing blitz that will bring Windows 8 and Surface advertisements all over the world.
The company will take over the billboards displayed in the New York Times Square with the largest Start Screen ever, probably in an attempt to help people get used to the new Windows 8 feature.
The Start Screen is one of the most criticized features of Windows 8 because it replaces the traditional Windows Start Menu. It’s mostly designed for touchscreen, but it works smoothly on desktop computers too, even if Microsoft itself admitted that beginners may need some time to get used to it.
On the other hand, software companies have already designed their very own apps supposed to bring back the Start Menu and the Start button, trying to make the new Windows 8 operating system a bit more user-friendly.
Samsung for example plans to deliver all its new Windows 8 devices with a preinstalled app that replaces the Start Screen with an old-school Start Menu. The program is currently in development stage, but expect the final release just after Windows 8’s launch.