5000 tablets given away

Microsoft has pleased guests at its Build developer conference in California by giving each attendee a Samsung tablet running Windows 8.

The tablets feature 1.6GHz 2nd-generation Intel core i5 processors, and come with one year of 3G access from American telco AT-T included for free.

Delegates were told about the tablets at the end of a two-hour presentation showing off Windows 8.

Steven Sinofsky, president of Microsoft's Windows division, told the audience that Windows 8 will consume less memory than Windows 7, while at the same time being able to run all the apps its predecessor can.

Julie Larson-Green then demonstrated how Windows 8 runs the 'Metro'-style tile interface seen on the Windows Phone 7 OS.

The launch to developers is key for Microsoft. If the company is to regain the ground it's lost to Apple over the last couple of years, it needs to convince developers that it's worthwhile producing apps for the new platform.

The keynote address is now available online, and a developer preview of Windows 8 is to be posted shortly.