In Windows 8, Microsoft caved to the changing tastes of consumers with a version designed to run effectively on a range of wirelessly connected, touchscreen-enabled tablets–a contentious, highly changeable market in which Android is making rapid gains on Apple’s iPad.
While half of all end users who own a tablet own an iPad, according to market research from Frank N. Magid Associates, it’s a drop of nearly 50% compared with the 72% that the iPad held a year ago. And Android leads the smartphone OS market handily, after taking over the top spot from iOS according to a survey from Gartner. By 2016, Android will hold 38% of the tablet market, compared with 31% now, according to Gartner. Windows 8 is projected to have 12% market share in 2016.