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Tablets have been such a hit for Apple that some people are already referring to the next phase of computing as "the post-PC era"; a phrase that implies that Windows PCs will be relegated to secondary status while tablets and smartphones will reign triumphant. Such claims are of course premature and highly speculative, but they're very damaging to Microsoft in that they do have some shred of truth -- PC growth is slowing at a time tablet growth is surging.

Tablet sales are expected to hit 70 million this year, while Gartner, Inc.'s (IT) latest sales prediction is that they will "continue to experience strong growth through to the end of 2015 when sales are forecast to reach 326.3 million units."

And according to an eWeek report, Gartner VP David Willis stated, "By 2016, more than 900 million tablets will be in the hands of users."

With total predicted PC shipments at 385 million for 2011, that means that tablets may be the most used type of big-screen computing device, exceeding sales of laptops and desktops. In other words, it's not the post-PC era yet, but top experts are convinced that users are headed in that direction.


But if it’s product or perish for Microsoft in this "post-PC" era we're entering, Microsoft is finally looking well prepared. With Windows 8, everything is about to change on the mobile front for Microsoft. You might not believe it, but Windows 8 tablets will be a hit. After trying to explain this distinction to one last Apple die-hard I decide to put this in article form.

Note, I include opinions of a DailyTech reader to provide some extra perspective on why this platform is promising.

Why is Windows 8 a game changer for the tablet market? Here's why...