In tablet market, Microsoft faces uphill battle

The technology industry has been buzzing about Microsoft's upcoming Windows® 8 ever since the software giant announced the tablet-compatible operating system in late 2011. But despite the hype, Microsoft® still has work to do to convince the average consumer that Windows 8 is the tablet OS for them.

Though the tablet computer market is still relatively young, Microsoft is already starting out as a latecomer. Apple® kicked things off in April 2010 with the iPad® and hasn't given up the top spot yet. Google and its Android™ responded soon afterward and, according to research firm Strategy Analytics, managed to capture 39 percent of the market in the fourth quarter of 2011.

Writing for news provider Business Insider, Matt Rosoff asserts that Microsoft will need to deliver "great apps, great hardware, no bugs or glaring flaws in Windows 8 itself." But even that won't be enough to guarantee success.

The company will need to bring something to the table that changes the game if it hopes to draw people away from brands that have already established themselves. Fortunately for Microsoft, it is entering a market that is expanding at breakneck pace, and there is still much opportunity for innovation.