SCI-TECH

Windows 8 to hit the mass market in October

The Associated Press Published Monday, July 9, 2012 1:00PM EDT

Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer talks about Windows 8 during his keynote address at the 2012 International CES tradeshow, Monday, Jan. 9, 2012, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/Julie Jacobson)

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SAN FRANCISCO - Computers running on the next version of Microsoft's Windows operating system will go on sale in October.

Microsoft Corp. announced the time frame for Windows 8's mass-market release Monday at a company conference in Toronto. A specific sales date in October wasn't provided.

Most analysts had predicted Windows 8 would go on sale in the fall to ensure the machines running on the operating system would be available for the holiday shopping season;

New versions of Windows typically come out every three years, but this update is the most widely anticipated overhaul of the software since 1995.

Applications will appear in a mosaic of tiles on Windows 8. Microsoft, based in Redmond, Washington, also designed the operating system so it can run on personal computers or touch-based tablet computers.