Mary Jo Foley

The Windows 8 and Microsoft Surface launches are less than a week away, and on this episode of the GeekWire radio show and podcast, we get some help putting things in perspective from Mary Jo Foley, the author of ZDNet’s All About Microsoft blog and a longtime authority on the Microsoft beat.

We talk about Microsoft’s prospects for success, the potential difficulties for traditional PC users, and a few of the things people should keep in mind and watch out for if they’re thinking about buying a Windows 8 PC or upgrading to the new operating system.

The conversation with Mary Jo starts at the 12 minute mark in the audio player above, after our weekly news roundup — in which we discuss my decision to blow my family’s iPad budget on a Microsoft Surface, and Microsoft’s construction of a giant tent on its Redmond campus. We also talk about how Mitt Romney’s “binders full of women” comment played out on Amazon; a new “maker space” being opened by a Nike veteran in Seattle’s Fremont neighborhood; and the LA Times’ amazing time-lapse video of the Space Shuttle Endeavour’s trek through Los Angeles.

Our App of the Week is Fresh Paint for Windows 8.

Also listen for our Name that Tech Tune challenge, for a chance to win tickets to our GeekWire Meetup this Tuesday.

Listen to the full show at the top of this post or directly via this MP3 file.

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