All Microsoft Build Attendees Get Free Surface Tablets, Lumia 920 And 100GB Of SkyDrive Storage

Just as Google is known for giving away free devices to I/O attendees, Microsoft also used its Build developer conference today to hand out free hardware to all of its Build attendees. Every Build attendee will get a Microsoft Surface RT 32GB with a touch cover. In addition, attendees will also get 100GB of free SkyDrive storage. Nokia’s Richard Kerris also used his slot during the keynote to give a free Lumia 920 to everybody at Build.

Ballmer also used his keynote address this morning to stress that Microsoft stands behind its new products and will do all it can to make them successful. As Ballmer noted, Microsoft will do “more marketing and better marketing for Windows 8 systems, Windows Phones and Surfaces” than ever before. “We will do our best work and you won’t be able to pick up a newspaper or turn on your TV without seeing our ads.” Windows 8, he said, is the “best opportunity for software developers today.” “Hundreds of millions of users,” said Ballmer, “are just dying to use your application and interact with your company.”

But to make Windows 8 a successful platform, Microsoft clearly needs more apps, and while Ballmer highlighted the current crop of apps for Windows 8, he also noted how Twitter will only release its own app in the coming months, for example. With more tablets in the hands of Windows developers, we will hopefully see more good apps arrive in the Windows Store in the near future.