Steve Ballmer to deliver Windows 8 packed CES 2012 keynote

By Tom Warren, on 6th Jul 11 3:14 pm with 21 Comments

Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer

Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer will once again deliver the pre-show keynote address at the Consumer Electronics Show.

Microsoft has been keynoting at CES for a number of years and 2012 will be no different. Ballmer is set to take to the stage at 6:30PM on Monday January 9 in The Venetian. Microsoft has previously introduced the original Xbox and Avatar Kinect during its keynote address. The software giant used CES 2009 to launch the first public beta of its Windows 7 operating system.

Microsoft’s 2012 CES will be full of Windows 8 according to company insiders. Microsoft is expected to deliver a beta copy of the next-generation operating system at its BUILD developer conference in September this year. Microsoft should be ready to deliver a second test copy of Windows 8 to the public at CES 2012. Ballmer will likely demo a number of ARM and Intel based Windows 8 tablets that will hit the market later in 2012 when Windows 8 is generally available.

“We are pleased to welcome Microsoft back to the CES keynote stage,” said Gary Shapiro, president and CEO, CEA. “From mobile to desktop to gaming and beyond, Microsoft has a significant impact on all aspects of the consumer technology industry, and Steve Ballmer’s keynote is a great way to kick off the exciting 2012 International CES. We are excited to hear Microsoft’s latest initiatives and Ballmer’s vision for where consumer technology is heading.”

  • Guest

    Well, he embarassed himself at the last two. Maybe three’s a charm.

  • http://www.facebook.com/simon.andrews Simon Andrews

    Ahh, good. I was worried the CES opening keynote might have something new and interesting in it.

    • Guest

      Well, they could get Google to do it and talk about how they ripped off Metro.

    • Guest

      Well, they could get Google to do it and talk about how they ripped off Metro.

  • http://doctorwhofan98.wordpress.com/ doctorwhofan98

    Ooh! Windows 8! I can’t wait to get my hands on it…

  • Renzo

    If all he does is come out and say “Windows 8. Developers, developers, DEVELOPERS!!!” and then walks off it’ll be a great keynote.

    • Guest

      I think you mean he’ll come out saying “HTML5 Developers, HTML5 Developers…” ;)

    • Anonymous

      yeah because only html5 can be used in win8
      /s

    • Guest

      I wouldn’t be surprised if the only reason HTML5 has been elevated to the status it has in Win8 is its popularity.

    • Guest

      I wouldn’t be surprised if the only reason HTML5 has been elevated to the status it has in Win8 is its popularity.

    • Guest

      Trololololololololol.

    • Joe Jay

      i think he will still create a hy thet the developors could use aka motivation to try to perfect the windows system

  • Renzo

    If all he does is come out and say “Windows 8. Developers, developers, DEVELOPERS!!!” and then walks off it’ll be a great keynote.

  • Bob

    I have to wonder about MS’s judgment in having Steve keynote again, or CES’s for extending another invitation. Seriously, this is bad for both. MS either needs to have bring something (and someone) capable of blowing away the audience, or they should just pass. Every year it’s the same thing. Big hopes that “this year it’ll be different”, only for Ballmer to get up there, show nothing really exciting, and bomb.

  • http://twitter.com/jimmyfal Jimmy Fallon

    MS gets everything right the third time around, and that Bing app for IPAD is just a small taste of the onslaught to come from MS. The press and the media can apply as much pressue as they want to Ballmer but he is right where he deserves to be after persisting to the point he has. He never gave up, and he never will. Welcome to Redmond.

    • WWPX

      So follow your theory, no one smart will buy a WP7 until the update AFTER mango… somewhere around 2013.

  • Richard

    Sucks they’re ditchin .net languages for html5 ):

    • Anonymous

      Where did you see that annouced at?   .NET will continue to be the lifeblood for native apps.

    • http://twitter.com/furdworetzky Fur Dworetzky

      They’re not ditching .net languages. I don’t know why anyone thinks this.
      It’s Windows. You can still make applications using .net. They simply have another framework to develop on in addition to .net.

  • zzz

    Once again he is going to promise all this great stuff for the near future to hid how poorly his past and present strategy is performing.  Why is this guy still CEO??????????? 

  • Anonymous

    This is it.  This is the one.  Decades later people will look back and say “I remember where I was when the 2012 CES keynote happened”.  Apple and Google employees and fanboys will remember this and say that Mayans predicted this was coming.  The day that Microsoft … won.

    Ok, that was hyperbolic on purpose and hopefully no one takes it too seriously.  But W8′s touch interface could be a game changer, especially in light of the surprising (at least in scope) failure of Android based tablets.  Ballmer will likely really have something cool and fresh to show, that people actually will want to see.  Imagine the excitement when WP7 was first revealed cranked up to 11.