One early indicator of Windows 8's success will be the contents of the online Windows Store. Microsoft has had a harder time drumming up interest among developers for Windows 8, given the risk that there will be fewer users than competing platforms.
Microsoft will not disclose numbers, but there are expected to be 5,000 or so third-party apps available to US users, in comparison with the iPad's 275,000. Some big names such as Facebook will be missing.
In social media, the tenor of comments on the Twitter hashtags #Windows8 and #Surface will give an indication of their reception after Ballmer unveils them both later today.
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