Hit by steeply falling prices of flat-panel television sets, struggling Japanese electronics companies appear hopeful that Microsoft Corp.'s just-launched Windows 8 operating software will boost demand for personal computers.

But they face a tough road ahead, as public interest in the new operating system is apparently waning with consumers' attention shifting toward portable devices, such as smartphones and tablet computers, which are also very competitively priced.

The Windows 8 software is compatible for both personal computers and tablet devices, a feature some analysts believe to be epoch-making.

"Window 8 is a revolution of an interface," said Sakae Takatsuka, president of NEC Personal Computers Ltd., comparing the software's launch with the radical switch Windows 95 brought about 17 years ago to a simpler graphical interface.

"Personal computers will enter the new world created by tablet computers and smartphones," Takatsuka said at an event earlier this month to introduce new products.

The latest Windows software represents a departure from older versions largely operable via a mouse, allowing users to operate a PC through a touch-panel like they would a smartphone.

Starting Friday, manufacturers including Fujitsu Ltd., Sony Corp. and Panasonic Corp. will release notebook computers with detachable screens that can be used like tablet computers.