So the last two years or so, it seems like Microsoft has honestly just been having its ass handed to it on literally every front. From its impending console release, to its latest OS, to its incredible ass pounding when it comes to tablets it seems like Microsoft has entered a long slide that it will be so hard to pull itself out of.
Also, I think the beating that MS will take from the PS4 as established by Forbes (9-10 mil units vs 12-15 mil PS4 units) is extremely conservative at best. I honestly feel that unless the Xbox pulls some extremely good exclusives out of its ass, that the split could very well be 5:20-25. Because the PS4 is as good as the Xbox1 is bad from what I've seen. I will be buying a new console for the first time since the original release of the PS2. And looking for a keyboard/mouse third party program for it from day one of course. :)
I do believe that MS hasn't really taken too large a hit in market share from the Win8 failure, seeing as Win7 was such a success. But I do find their corporate strategy to be rather rigid, and I haven't seen much attempt to exploit emerging markets that are under-served in the manner of electronics. But then again, the same can definitely be said of most of its major competitors on this subject.
And tablets...well, Apple took the lead on this one purely because Steve Jobs was still alive, and to say he isn't one of the greatest marketers to have ever existed would be an absolute lie. Without him, I'm not sure the iPad would have grabbed as much market space as it did.