After giving attendees a free Surface tablet/laptop, Ballmer asked that they go out and create lots of apps for the Microsoft environment, promising that Microsoft would follow through with advertising that should boost the market for those apps.

"We will do more marketing for Windows 8 system, for Windows phones and for Surfaces," he says. "You will see our best work, and you will not be able to go to a magazine, to the Internet or turn on the television set without seeing our ads frequently."

Tim Greene covers Microsoft for Network World and writes the Mostly Microsoft blog. Reach him at tgreene@nww.com and follow him on Twitter @Tim_Greene.

in Network World's Software section.