Microsoft Corp, the world's largest software maker, will unveil the first broadly available test version of the Windows 8 operating system on February 29 in Barcelona, Spain, at a mobile industry show.
The Redmond, Washington-based company sent invitations via e-mail for an event to show the test product, called the Windows 8 Consumer Preview. Microsoft is relying on the newest version of Windows to make headway in the tablet-computer market. The two-hour session is scheduled to take place during the Mobile World Congress trade show.
Revenue from Windows software, which runs most of the world's personal computers, has missed analysts' estimates in four of the past five quarters, in part because some consumers are defecting to tablets such as Apple Inc’s iPad.