Microsoft hints that Windows 8 drops in 2012

Microsoft has found itself on a short release cycle when it comes to Windows as of late: much-maligned Vista landed in 2007, well-reviewed Windows 7 came in '09, and now the company hints that Windows 8 could be here by 2012. Are we ready for more Windows?

The rumor comes from the Netherlands-based branch of Microsoft, which put up a blurb on its site to celebrate a year of Windows 7. Translated from Dutch, it reads, "Furthermore, Microsoft is on course for the next version of Windows. But it will take about two years before 'Windows 8' is on the market."

Well, that's one way to celebrate the anniversary of your comeback operating system: put it into the minds of consumers that its days are numbered. Upgrading your OS is a pretty big hassle, one that we hope companies will work to make a little less painful. Either way, we're hoping for a surprise, as Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer is calling Windows 8 — or whatever it'll be named when it comes out — the company's riskiest product yet.