During the event Microsoft also announced that the company will not require manufacturers to pay a licence fee to install Windows 8 and Windows Phone on devices featuring screens smaller than 9in (22.9cm), which could help them compete against the rise of Google's operating systems.
It also confirmed that the forthcoming Windows 8.1 update would be offered as a free upgrade from April 8. It features user interface changes including the ability to access the system's taskbar from any screen.
The 8.1 update now comes with a new action center that displays stats like Facebook notifications and battery information and a refreshed start screen.
There have been some changes to the Start Screen and the lockscreen. Users can now set any image as their Start Screen background and it will take up the background on a Live Tile, instead of the solid colours in the previous version.
