The Tottenham Court Road outlet hopes enthusiasts will form a queue reminiscent of an Apple gadget launch to get hold of the new software at 00.01AM, and is laying on an array of enticements. The first 300 customers to buy a discounted HP Windows 8 laptop will get a free pair of Beats headphones, hot food and drinks will be provided and a magician will be on hand to entertain. The effort underscores how the introduction of Windows 8 is viewed as a potential fillip for the slumping PC market. While PCs sell in much greater numbers than Apple computers, recent figures suggest the market has begun to decline for the first time in more than a decade. Gartner, for instance, said third quarter sales were down 8.3 per cent. The slide has been widely blamed in part on the growth of mobile computing on smartphone and tablets, sectors in which Microsoft lags behind its rivals Apple and Google. Windows 8 is specifically designed to boost Microsoft's challenge as its first tablet operating system, and by introducing touchscreen technology to desktops. Its success is vital not only to Microsoft, but to retailers and third party hardware manufacturers such as HP. Read more: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/microsoft/9625907/Windows-8-to-get-midnight-launch.html
