After many months of development, previews and demonstrations, Microsoft finally pushed Windows 8 and Windows RT out the door and into the marketplace as part of a lengthy, bifurcated and relatively calm event in New York City.
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Company CEO Steve Ballmer and Windows lead Steven Sinofsky both took the stage to detail all that you already know about Microsoft's radically re-imagined, touch-friendly operating system and to highlight much of the new hardware built to support it.
The event was actually a two-parter: First Microsoft execs spent an hour or so talking through Windows 8 for laptops and convertibles (there wasn't a traditional box-style desktop in sight), then they took a lunch break and finished off the afternoon with an official launch of Microsoft's home-grown tablet, Surface. Surface runs the ARM-friendly Windows RT.
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The second event was somewhat smaller, more intimate and looser than the heavily scripted Windows 8 unveiling. Microsoft also seemed to be a lot more careful about who could sit in on the Surface unveil.
Some said they sent hardware partners -- who build competing Surface devices -- elsewhere.
The video above puts you on the floor and in our seats. Watch and then don't forget to read all of our coverage of the event and of Microsoft's new Windows 8-related products.
This story originally published on Mashable here.
