Enterprise likely to get behind Windows tablets

The world has waited for more than two years for Microsoft® to make its move in the tablet computer industry. Now that Windows® 8 is just around the corner, however, many users seem to have lost interest and are content with what they already have.

According to research firm Gartner, Microsoft's tablet market share will reach just over 4 percent in 2012. While this is higher than the software giant's current standing, it is a far cry from the 61 percent that Apple® is expected to command and Android's 32 percent.

Of those who do purchase Windows tablets, the majority are expected to be enterprise users. CCS Insight analyst John Jackson tells Reuters that the enterprise space is Microsoft's to lose, noting that Apple has not yet established an insurmountable foothold among business users.

Consumers, meanwhile, may not flock to Windows tablets with the same enthusiasm as they have other devices. Even as Microsoft's tablet market share increases to 11.8 percent by 2016, consumers may prove content to stick with the devices they've grown accustomed to.

The tablet industry is still young, and nothing is set in stone. Though analyst expectations for Windows tablets may be on the conservative side, the market has proven several times -- even in its short existence -- that unexpected things can occur and shake up the status quo.