Steve Ballmer just finished his last keynote by announcing that Windows 8 will launch in late February with the full Metro user interface and integrations with Kinect, available February 1.

“Metro will drive the new magic across all the user experiences,” Ballmer said. For Microsoft, Metro means 1+1=3.

And to make his point, Ballmer exclaimed:

“Metro, Metro, Metro.”  And to really make his point, Microsoft is all about “Windows, Windows, Windows.”

Natural language and natural gestures highlighted the final part of the keynote with a demo of the voice controls from the Xbox and the news of a new partnership with Sesame Workshop that will feature immersive games based upon the Sesame Street programming.

So what does this mean? It’s a clear sign that the future for Windows is the capabilities for a ouch style interface. It pairs with the ultrabooks, which serve as a hybrid with both touch and keyboard integration.

Entertaining as usual with Ballmer and a good show that demonstrates the shift for the market in the months ahead. Telling was the almost nonexistent mention of the PC. Instead, we now see devices that are only as good as how thin they are. A user interface has to be a swipe. Voice recognition is a must. And the new device of the future will have to come standard with some Kinect style interactive capability.