All Of Microsoft’s Employees Are To Get Free Windows 8 Products (Steve Ballmer Compared To Oprah)

A private conference hosted by Steve Ballmer revealed Microsoft’s 90,000 employees will be getting a range of Window 8 products, for free.

The move follows a decision made by Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer to give free Windows Phone 7 products.

If you fancy a free Windows 8 tablet then you should be working for Microsoft, though that seems obvious

At Microsoft’s annual employee meeting this week CEO Steve Ballmer announced that the software giant’s 90,000 employees are to get free Windows 8 products. Users can choose across a tablet, ultrabook, laptop, and desktop PC.

Windows Phone 8 devices are also on offer for home and work usage, so perhaps employees will be getting phone before general consumers. Likewise for Windows 8 that’s finished, though not widely available, and available for developers and IT organizations. If you’re a TechNet subscribers you can also get access to the release candidate. TechNet basically gets you access to Microsoft’s services for $120 a year. That’s pretty good value if you’re completely integrated into Microsoft’s programs.

The meeting was private, and the news came out from employees sharing the news on Twitter. Employees seemed ecstatic over the news, calling it the best company meeting ever, and comparing Ballmer to Oprah Winfrey. What.

Self-Promotion With Over 90,000 People

The devices are available to full-time direct employees, though even with that condition the number of employees is over 90,000. Goodness know what that’s costing Microsoft. The aim seems to get the employees talking to others about Windows 8, and the best way to do that is by showing off the product.

It will be interesting to see what employees that own iPads switching permanently to Windows 8, assuming iPad purchases are allowed. Apple is still dominating the iPad market despite the introducing of Amazon’s Kindle range, Google’s Nexus 7 tablet, and the Samsung Galaxy Tab.

I’ve said before Windows 8 is the first operating system to challenge iOS on the iPad. That’s because it has the user share, and probably developer support. Microsoft is experiencing challenges getting developer support for Windows Phone, though it seems to be fully committed in the long-term.

Windows 8 launches October 26. Windows Phone 8’s launch is to be announced.