Tablets from on high

摘要

"It truly is a new era at Microsoft," gushed Steve Ballmer, the giant software company's boss, in a letter to shareholders this month. For once, such grandiloquence seems justified. On October 26th Windows 8, the newest version of Microsoft's operating system for personal computers, is due to be released. It looks very different from past editions; it is designed for touchscreens on both pcs and tablets; and it can run on processors designed by arm, a British company whose allies dominate mobile devices, as well as chips made by Intel, Microsoft's long-term partner. Also on sale will be the Surface, a tablet-cum-pc bearing Microsoft's own brand. A version of Windows 8 for smart-phones is due on October 29th.