Original URL: https://www.theregister.com/2012/09/14/microsoft_windows_8_for_employees/

Microsofties to get Windows 8 Surface tabs

Touch your work PC, like it or not

By Gavin Clarke

Posted in Channel, 14th September 2012 09:39 GMT

Microsoft has found an eager early audience for its Windows-8-powered Surface Ultrabook: its own employees.

The software giant is reportedly giving each of its 94,000 full-time staff a Surface computer for work and home use, in a gesture of mass Windows 8 munificence announced at the company’s annual staff meeting in Seattle’s KeyArena.

Fifteen thousand Microsoft employees attended the event, and were addressed by Steve Ballmer and other top execs.

As part of the event Microsoft said work PCs would go over to Windows 8. Geekwire reports Microsoft is accelerating the rate at which it upgrades its employees' PCs as part of the en masse move to Windows 8. The Seattle Times reports that staff get to choose between desktops, laptops, Ultrabooks or tablets.

Employees are also getting new Windows Phone 8 handsets – a repeat of the giveaway Microsoft made of phones running Windows 7. ®