Microsoft: It's All About Windows 8

NEW YORK (TheStreet) -- Microsoft(MSFT) is scheduled to report fourth-quarter earnings after the bell Thursday, but investors are focused on what's to come, namely Windows 8.

The Redmond, Wash.-based software giant recently announced that Windows 8 would be available in late October, just in time for the holiday season. Microsoft also announced that Office 2013 would be available later this year as well.

Recent PC trends have pointed to sluggish growth, with research firms Gartner and IDC pointing to flat year-over-year growth. Intel(INTC) mentioned slowing growth in the back end of 2012 in its recent earnings report, confirming this theory.