Microsoft has been selling hundreds of millions of operating systems every year since the freaking 80's so even an ape knows they will do so in 2013 as well. But did that make the original Xbox successful, or Zune successful or Windows Phone successful?

Yes of course I am using Windows since I am forced to since that's the only option if you want PC gaming.

But what happens when people have the choice to choose something else than Microsoft? They choose something else.

Microsoft has been selling hundreds of millions of operating systems every year since the freaking 80's so even an ape knows they will do so in 2013 as well. But did that make the original Xbox successful, or Zune successful or Windows Phone successful?

Yes of course I am using Windows since I am forced to since that's the only option if you want PC gaming.

But what happens when people have the choice to choose something else than Microsoft? They choose something else.

You are wrong on multiple accounts.  

1.  XBOX, Zune, and Windows phones are not using windows.  Windows 8 phones will have a little more in common with Windows 8 so this should help Windows phones because then it will be a recognizable product.  

2.  Ever heard of MAC and Linux?  People already have alternate choices.  They just don't do it as well as Windows.  As long as Windows has Microsoft Office and the name Microsoft Windows then it will always be the market leader unless something completely revolutionary comes out.  Windows has been around far too long to just fall off the market.  And if anybody makes something revolutionary in th OS market, my bet would be on Microsoft. 

An x86 Windows 8 tablet like surface will OWN the business market when it comes out, no matter what the price point is. [...]

As far as consumers, go to your best buy or Staples and take a look how hard these devices are being pushed and at what price points. Every laptop, touch screen or not has been upgraded to Windows 8 and some even start at $249. 

But the average consumer doesn't even know that those devices aren't really Windows. And what good would it be if they knew? Most customers would not buy a Windows product if there existed an alternative.

Have you seen any link to an analyst predicting success for Microsoft OS on tablets? if so please provide me with one.

Absolutely correct. But the original topic was Surface RT, and now we are pretty much just talking general dominance of Windows OS on x86 computers, which always come bundled with the latest Windows OS.

On x86 computers, there's just no noteworthy competition whatsoever. The ARM-based devices are what's going to be interesting, because there's competition: Windows RT devices vs. Android tablets vs. iPad. If Microsoft really manages to get the biggest market share on these devices, I would be deeply impressed.

Microsoft now has the same OS running on tablets, laptops, desktops, hybrids... Tablet sales alone don't matter.  In sheer size and volume, there is NOTHING out there that will be able compete with all Windows 8 devices. I expect by end of 2013 Windows 8 to have the largest userbase out of any platform out there... 

I would actually imagine that the overall market consensus is similar as far as the two main points are concerned: "MS Office support is fantastic" "Lack of Apps is disappointing."

How do you know this doesn't reflect the mass market? He posted an article, you are posting.... your sole opinion.

Misrosoft always sells 2, 3 or 400 million copies of its OS for PCs each year and has always had "the largest userbase out of any platform". That's nothing new.

The question is if they can compete with Apple and the Android guys on tablets and phones.

Do you realise that Apple and Samsung now are more than twice as big as MS when it comes to revenue?

What does revenue have to do with anything?

It's like me saying, did you know employs 2X as many people as Apple? Oh snap...means nothing.

Profit wise all 3 companies make more than they can spend.

Selling 400 million copies of an OS is nothing if you don't have an ecosystem around it. And with Windows 7 and prior, Microsoft really didn't have an ecosystem. They do now with windows 8 and they can leverage developers with it much easier.

400 million Windows 8 users (running tablet, PC, laptop, hybrids...) will attract developers to the platform in massive numbers which will attract customers and OEMs...the trickle effect.

Think of i this way...With Windows 8 Microsoft is attacking Apple and Android on their home turf (tablets). But is apple and Google doing the same to  Microsoft on the Laptop and desktop side? Yes they are with Chrome and OSX... But NOT with a single unified platform. They both have seperate ecosystems for desktops and laptops. They really can't win with that strategy...