Microsoft will host a Windows 8 Consumer Preview event in Barcelona Feb. 29. That’s likely the launch date of Windows 8 beta, EWeek reports.

Microsoft will almost certainly use this year’s Mobile World Congress in Barcelona as the venue for whipping back the curtain from its Windows 8 Consumer Preview.

By hosting the event at the Mobile World Congress, Microsoft is again re-emphasizing its aim to make Windows 8 a major player in the mobile arena.

In the tablet arena, Microsoft will face competition of an altogether different sort: Apple’s iPad, currently the dominant device in that segment. The burgeoning number of Google Android tablets also present significant competition.

During his keynote address at this year’s Consumer Electronics Show, Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer suggested that Windows 8 on tablets will surpass those rival devices by offering heavy-duty functionality. “People don’t want to compromise on what they have today,” he told the audience. “They want the best of what they have, and the best of what they want.”

The Consumer Preview will give consumers their first chance to see whether Windows 8 indeed achieves that lofty goal.