Windows 8 is set to launch on Microsoft platforms in 2012, according to Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer.

Speaking at a developers’ conference in Tokyo, Japan on Monday, Ballmer referred to the company’s next-generation OS as “Windows 8” for the first time.

The Microsoft CEO confirmed that the successor to Windows 7 would arrive next year for PCs, tablets and slates.

He told developers: "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."

Link: TechRadar