By Larbi Arbaoui

Morocco World News

Taroudant, Oct 6, 2012

Microsoft announced the preview release of its new operating system Windows 8 that supports Amazigh language, says Saturday, a statement from the American multinational Computing.

The release will take place within the framework of the visit of Jean-Philippe Courtois, the president of Microsoft International, to Morocco next Wednesday and Thursday in order to strengthen the multinational bond with Moroccan partners of public and private sectors.

During the celebrations of the International Organization for Science and Culture of the mother tongue in the United Nations on 21 February, Microsoft announced that Windows 8 would be available in 14 new languages, including Tamazight.

Microsoft has not yet officialized the retail price of Windows 8 Pro, but the Verge (website) says that Microsoft’s Windows 8 Pro software will be priced at $199 after a promotional price of $69.99 that will expire on January 31st 2013, and Microsoft users are to be offered Windows 8 Pro upgrades online for $39.99.

The official release of Microsoft Windows 8 is scheduled for October 26.

Two keyboards are available to type Amazigh language: the Latin alphabet used in Algeria and the Moroccan Tifinagh alphabet with two input methods (Tifinagh-based alphabet keyboard, and extended keyboard. The Tifinagh keyboard is the one used by IRCAM (Royal Institute of Amazigh Culture in Morocco).

The visit of the president of Microsoft International to Morocco will coincide with the announcement of the new edition of the Microsoft Imagine Cup competition and all the programs that Microsoft has specially set up for Moroccan students like Youthspark, as well as the announcement of a new service in the field of Cloud Computing in Morocco.