In 2016, Microsoft will retain almost 90% of the projected 370+ million PCs sold

According to the new study by Forrester Research titled "Windows: The Next Five Years", Microsoft will retain almost 90% of the projected 370+ million PCs sold in 2016"

Meanwhile, Windows RT is built to run on ARM processors found in most smartphones and tablets, which means it does not support x86 legacy applications, although Microsoft is making a custom version of Office available pre-installed on ARM devices, such as the new Microsoft Surface.

"With RT, we're talking about a new member of the Windows family," said Michael Cherry, research vice president for operating systems at analyst firm Directions on Microsoft in Kirkland, Wash.

That doesn't eliminate the continuing importance of PCs, but it does mean that competition will still be stiff for Windows 8, with nearly half of all PCs in use today running on the obsolete 11-year-old Windows XP and the rest mostly running Windows 7. The question is whether or not Windows 8 will provide enough new and enhanced features to entice enterprise IT departments to upgrade.

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