Update: A Microsoft spokesperson has since got in contact to clarify that Ballmer was actually repeating a figure of 500 million Windows 7 license sales that was announced in December - explaining this means there is an installed base of 500 million potential users that could be upgraded to Windows 8.

While that changes the context of his comments in the article below slightly, it still shows that Microsoft has high hopes that its new operating system will be adopted by the majority of its vast user base.

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Shy, retiring and wallflower are not a phrases you'd ever hear in connection with Microsoft's chief executive Steve Ballmer.

He's one of life's characters, you might say, although we say this with respect, as Ballmer's enthusiasm is a refreshing change from many dry and dusty chief executives that can waffle on for hours without saying anything remotely interesting.

In that spirit, Ballmer once again has hogged the spotlight with comments in Seoul, South Korea, in which he estimated Microsoft will have 500 million users of its forthcoming Windows 8 system in the next year, according to a report by the AFP.

Such a figure, when considered in detail, is hard to place - would that be good or bad for Microsoft?

Well, firstly, there must be far more than 500 million Windows machines in operation at present, running everything from Windows Vista to Windows 7. So 500 million could seem low in that context.

However, these platforms have had years to establish themselves in the market, and during periods of little competition, unlike now as Apple starts to make inroads into the desktop market and consumers eschew laptops and home PCs for iPhones and iPads.

Perhaps, then, 500 million would be a success for Microsoft, especially when set against data it announced in 2010 that it had shifted 175 million copies of Windows 7 within the first nine months in which it was released.

However, estimates from analyst firms don't even place total PC sales for the entire market at above 500 million in 2012. Gartner estimates around 440 million units will be sold this year, suggesting Ballmer's boasts may be a tad speculative.

Then again, Microsoft is pushing Windows 8 as a product not just for the desktop, but also the smartphone and tablet markets.

This could well mean that, if manufacturers such as Samsung, Dell, Acer, Nokia and Fujitsu all push new tablets to the market, 500 million may even be a modest estimate, especially as consumers and businesses in developing nations start to embrace these devices for the first time.

Ultimately, only time, and sales figures, will prove how popular the new platform from Microsoft proves to be - even the head of Windows has admitted it's a ‘bet' on the future of computing - but you can be sure Ballmer will be the first to let the world know if his prediction comes true.

Members of the UK parliament may soon be waving Apple iPads at each other across the dispatch box instead of order papers, according to reports in the press.

The Commons Administration Committee has recommended purchasing Apple's tablet device for all MPs as a move that it expects would save on taxpayer's money, according to the BBC.

Part of the logic of the proposal is that tablets would make it easier for MPs to do their work and save on paper.

However, MPs are currently already entitled to three desktop computers and two laptops for their office use, and the committee is recommending an iPad in addition to these rather than instead of one or more of them.

According to the BBC, a trial of the iPad by members of the Administration Committee resulted in savings of several thousand pounds through circulating information electronically rather than by hard copy.

Rather pathetically, a committee member is quoted as saying that the prospect of securing discounts from Apple for bulk buying are likely to be limited. Surely the UK government should have more confidence in its purchasing power?

It seems that Parliament is looking at purchasing the older iPad 2 models, rather than the newer iPad announced earlier this month.

The House of Commons Commission is expected to consider the committee's recommendation in a meeting due to take place later today.

UPDATE (27 March): Speaking to V3, a Commons Administration Committee representative confirmed the decision on the MP's iPad bid had been pushed back to 30 April after discussion on another topic rolled passed its allotted time during the meeting on 26 March.

The launch of a new Apple product is always accompanied by the inevitable queue, with eager fans getting in line outside stores around the world to ensure they can say they were one of the first to get hold of whatever new shiny device the firm is selling.

The new iPad was no different, with some fans getting in line last weekend, although most had a far more casual one night sleepover on the cold, hard, unforgiving concrete of Regent's Street.

When V3 popped along this morning to see what was going on we came across the usual mix of the weird and wonderful, which we've documented below in photographic glory, because a picture is worth a thousand words...

Apple teased the assembled queuers by putting a solitary device tantalisingly within reach behind a thin-sheet of glass.

Meanwhile, the world's media (sort of) continued to gather to try and get a spot to snap those on the other side of the barriers. V3 had arrived at 7:30am, so had no such trouble bagging a top spot.

Eventually, as the clock ticked around to 8am, the crowds were let in, to huge cheers and applause from Apple's blue-shirted staff. Some people going into the store to buy the new iPad, already had the new iPad they'd bought at midnight from other locations, and were filming the experience on the device, which was an odd sight.

Things started to get really surreal, though, when a gaggle of clearly-fake air hostesses turned up and started posing with the first few fans through the door. Apple apparently had no issue with this and let it take place without incident.

As if this wasn't enough, one chap then added a giant cat's head to the situation, with wonderfully bizarre results.

While for the on-looking press this was an amusing side-note, for most exiting the store it was a chance to celebrate getting their hands on the device, as first-in-line Zohaib Ali did with style.

Eventually, though, when the dust had settled there's only a few traces left that would hint at the madness that had gone before. No doubt the iPhone 5 launch - or will it be the new iPhone? - will see the whole circus start up again.

Tablet computers have only been around in their current guise for two years but their popularity in the consumer markets has meant that the Office of National Statistics has added the device to its national shopping basket used to measure the spend of UK consumers.

The organisation said that the devices were now making such an impact on the market that they needed to be included in its retail guide, particularly as they were accounting for much of the nation's spend on technology, in place of older devices.

"Developments in technology influence the basket update and in 2012 tablet computers (such as the iPad and Samsung Galaxy Tab) are being included for the first time," it said.

"This mirrors the evolution of computer equipment through desktop personal computers, laptops and now tablets, and they are being introduced to capture price changes in this rapidly expanding market."

With the new iPad set to be launched on Friday, and no doubt ready to fly off the shelves into the arms of grateful consumers eager to get their hands on the latest iDevice from Apple, the ONS's timing appears justified.

It wasn't just tablets that were added, though, with bundled communication packages - telephone lines, internet and TV services - also included, underlining the new way many consumers purchase digital services.

The inclusion of these services, as well as tablet computers, in the ONS's updated shopping list underlines just how central technology has become to the lives of the general public, both for use in the workplace and at home.

Apple's share price passed the $500 mark for the first time in the firm's history on Monday afternoon as the success of its iPad 2 and iPhone devices continue to make the firm one of the world's most valuable companies.

It has taken just six months since passing the $400 on the Nasdaq market to rocket to £500 and comes three years after the firm's share price was a comparatively paltry $89.31 in February 2009.

Since then the success of its iPhone and iPad ranges, particularly their increasing use among both consumers and business users, has fuelled the firm's valuation, which is now inching towards $470bn as it continues to rake in record profits.

The firm's financial success is in stark contrast to some of its key rivals, with the likes of Microsoft stagnating on $30 per share price - and a market cap of $256bn - and Nokia on just $5 a share or a $18.5bn market cap, as other firms find it hard to make any traction in the smartphone and tablet markets.

Only Google can outperform Apple for share-value, with its stock currently priced around the $613 mark, but with fewer shares it circulation, it's value is a 'paltry' $199bn.

The question everyone will be asking, though, is clear: why on earth didn't I buy some shares in Apple three years ago?

Microsoft has spilled the beans on ARM support in Windows 8, but the biggest revelation is that this version of the platform will include Office applications, a move that seems designed to boost Microsoft's share of the tablet market.

In the latest update to its Building Windows 8 blog, Microsoft ended months of speculation by clarifying that Windows on ARM (WOA) "supports the traditional Windows desktop experience including File Explorer, Internet Explorer 10 for the desktop, and most other desktop features", the opposite of what Microsoft had earlier appeared to suggest.

More interestingly, Microsoft stated that within the desktop environment, WOA will include desktop versions of the upcoming Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and OneNote applications, codenamed "Office 15".

In other words, it appears that ARM-based devices running Windows 8 will come with the next version of Microsoft Office ready built in, a move that is almost certain to make Windows tablets a more attractive prospect to buyers than other devices, even perhaps Apple's iPad.

This is a very cunning ploy by the software giant, but also risky. Microsoft Office is possibly the most eagerly sought-after business software, and the ARM-based incarnation looks set to be a full implementation of the features seen in the desktop version for x86 PCs, along with enhancements for both touch input and minimal power/resource consumption.

However by bundling Office in this way, Microsoft will also be risking further anti-trust action, such as the case brought against it by the US Department of Justice over the inclusion of Internet Explorer with Windows, or the European Commission case over bundling of Windows Media Player.

Meanwhile, Microsoft has explicitly stated that WOA will feature the traditional desktop interface as well as the Metro-style front-end. Previous Microsoft statements about only Metro-style apps being supported on ARM led to the widespread perception that the desktop itself would be omitted from WOA.

"The availability of the Windows desktop is an important part of WOA. The desktop offers you a familiar place to interact with PCs, particularly files, storage, and networking, as well as a range of peripherals," Microsoft's Steven Sinofsky wrote on the Building Windows 8 blog

"You can use Windows Explorer, for example, to connect to external storage devices, transfer and manage files from a network share, or use multiple displays, and do all of this with or without an attached keyboard and mouse."

However, it does seem that Microsoft expects third-party developers to stick to Metro apps, because of the power-efficiency features the firm is explicitly building into the new WinRT programming model.

"The conventions used by today's Windows apps do not necessarily provide this," said Sinofsky. "If you need to run existing x86/64 software, then you will be best served with Windows 8 on x86/64."

Microsoft is set to unveil the first public preview of Windows 8 on 29 February at Mobile World Congress.

For both mobile workers and consumers accessing the mobile internet can be a nightmare: slow speeds, congested networks and a lack of available coverage all combine to make for a disappointing experience.

However, a growing number of projects are coming to the fore that could well end this situation by providing access to several wide-scale Wi-Fi deployments across London and beyond.

Firstly, Transport for London (TfL) confirmed it is on track to roll out Wi-Fi hotspots to 120 of its stations in time for the Olympic Games later this year, with its chosen supplier set to be announced in due course.

"London Underground is continuing with preparations to install the necessary infrastructure and is on schedule to complete the project as planned," said TfL's director of strategy and service development, Gareth Powell, in a widely reported statement.

"An announcement of the chosen service provider will be made in early spring, leaving plenty of time for this to be delivered to customers in time for the 2012 Games."

Secondly, O2 announced on Tuesday that it has signed a deal with restaurant chain owner Tragus to provide free Wi-Fi access to both customers and non-customers in 120 locations, including Cafe Rouge, as well as Strada and Bella Italia restaurants.

"This agreement takes us a step closer towards our vision of changing the public Wi-Fi landscape within three years, by offering people free Wi-Fi connections in the places they want it most," said the managing director of O2 Wi-Fi, Gavin Franks.

"As O2 Wi-Fi's footprint continues to grow, we hope that more people and businesses start to realise the potential of free and fast Wi-Fi."

The rollout comes after O2 announced earlier this month that it will be creating what it claims is the largest free Wi-Fi network in Europe across areas of Westminster, Kensington and Chelsea, also in time for the Olympics later this year.

The confluence of these projects, which will see smartphone and tablet users across London and the rest of the UK able to access a growing number of Wi-Fi hotspots, is a welcome development for the UK.

Hopefully, it will show visitors to these shores that our nation progressing nicely in the digital era.

After months of speculation, HP chief executive Meg Whitman announced on Friday that the firm will keep the webOS operating system running and offer it on an open source licence.

But what does this actually mean? First off, this is great news for customers who might have been caught up in the excitement and bought an HP TouchPad in the firesale as it means that updates for the device will be offered through an official channel.

It also means that the HP firesales, the latest of which took place on eBay's US site over the weekend, could ultimately work to HP's advantage by expanding the tablet's user base. There are currently hundreds of thousands of TouchPads in the hands of developers, many of whom bought the device for the excellent hardware so that they could port Android onto it.

Opening up webOS has now given developers a reason to continue using the OS that shipped with the tablet, and to help improve it and build a catalogue of apps. This could create that essential ecosystem for the platform and, although it doesn't have a realistic chance of catching Android and iOS in terms of the volume of apps, it will help make webOS devices more useful than is currently the case.

The release of the webOS source code is also good news for Android developers and end-users as the best bits from the software could find their way onto Google's operating system.

If Google engineers do take anything from webOS it is most likely to be the excellent gesture system which works really well with touch screens. Even the bods at Apple are likely to take a closer look at the source code to see whether there is anything that they can 'borrow' to improve iOS.

With the market dominated by Android and iOS devices, and Windows Phone yet to get a foothold, webOS could be just the ticket for a handset manufacturer willing to take a risk for the sake of differentiation.

Of course, webOS still has a long way to go to become commercially successful, as handset makers are unlikely to start packing and shipping devices with the software overnight. HP will need to demonstrate a long-term commitment to the project, which it hasn't been too good at lately.

In an era when open source software such as Android can become phenomenally successful, this could be the rebirth that webOS needs, and might even justify HP's Palm acquisition.

It will be interesting to see the resources that HP puts into the open source project. Handheld devices continue to eat into PC sales, and the demand for high-end smartphones and tablets is increasing all the time.

HP has been wise not to axe the platform and, even if third-party manufacturers don't use webOS, there is nothing to stop HP making another assault on the mobile market in a year or so.