On May 23rd at a developers conference in Japan, Microsfot CEO Steve Ballmer refered to the next Windows as Windows 8. He also stated that it will be out sometime next year. This is what Ballmer had to say according to a transcript from Microsoft.
?We?re obviously hard at work on the next version of Windows. Windows 7 PCs will sell over 350 million units this year. We?ve done a lot in Windows 7 to improve customer satisfaction. We have a brand new user interface. We?ve added touch, and ink, and speech. And yet, as we look forward to the next generation of Windows systems, which will come out next year, there?s a whole lot more coming. 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.?
Although later it came out that Ballmer?s statement wasn?t really what it seemed to be, a Microsoft spokesperson had this to say after the statements made by Ballmer.
?It appears there was a misstatement. We are eagerly awaiting the next generation of Windows 7 hardware that will be available in the coming fiscal year. To date, we have yet to formally announce any timing or naming for the next version of Windows.?
Did Ballmer get too excited and let the cat out of the bag too early and this is just Microsoft doing some back steps? I personally think Ballmer is on point but knowing Microsoft 2012 could be 2013. Although I always feel Microsoft seems to rush their OS?s to markets.
