Microsoft spending over $1.5 billion on Windows 8 launch

Windows 8 is an expensive gamble for Microsoft, with the company pouring between $1.5 to $1.8 billion into the new OS' launch. Yeah, that's a lot of money, and between Windows 8, Windows RT, Windows Phone 8, and the new Surface tablet, we're not all that surprised.

Microsoft is certainly sparing no expense, making Windows 8 the biggest product launch in the history of the industry. Years ago, Windows 95 only cost Microsoft $200 million in marketing.

This isn't just about the OS either, but whether Microsoft can effectively compete against Apple and Google in the mobile market. As analyst Rob Enderle of Enderle Group notes, this is one "big risk" for the Redmond company.

Enderle also remarks that "the marketing effort is on a scale you don't see outside presidential elections."