The world of the tablet has certainly arrived. Apple took a unique approach to the tablet with the iPad, and their strategy paid off. The iPad is not a laptop or netbook without a keyboard. It is a simplified device that can be carried around with ease, the battery lasts for days, and the operating system is easy to use.

This is very different to the way Microsoft has been attempting to make tablets in the past. And let’s face it, Windows has not had much success with tablets, and they have had even less success with the Windows Phone. The new Windows 8 operating system should be changing all that, and here is a look at those issues and more.

• Multi-Device. The best thing about Microsofts’ approach to its operating system this time is the fact the operating system will work on all devices. It is about time we had a smartphone, tablet, laptop, and desktop that uses the same operating system. It is hard enough for many people to get used to using a laptop, let alone getting used to using their smart-phone, and then having to learn how to use their laptop. This feature of Windows 8 is something that is long overdue, and something that will really give Microsoft the edge.

• Experience. Microsoft is no stranger to the tablet market. Actually, they are the company that has been in the market the longest. Their problem is they have been trying to put a personal computer into a tablet. They are very different devices, and they are for very different uses. It is quite feasible for a single individual to have a laptop, desktop, smartphone and a tablet. They all have different uses, and they all have different reasons to be used. They even have their own more appropriate physical locations for use. Microsoft needs to make sure their new operating system takes all of this into consideration on release. If it is just another operating that suits a personal computer, they will fail again. From what we have seen, this is not the case, and Windows 8 could actually be the biggest game-changer in personal computing since Windows was first released – if they get it right.

• Post-PC. Today is the era of post-pc. People don’t want to be bothered with installations, configurations, clicking of selections. They want to see their application, and they want to use it right away. The iPhone was the first device that made using a computer easy. It is the way personal computers and operating systems should have been designed in the first place. The Windows upgrade needs to be smooth, functional, and very simplistic. Windows has had too many click-counts to get a single job done for too long.

• Smartphones. Apple built the iPhone and it is still clearly the best smartphone on the market. Smartphones are short-use devices. We will not sit on them for hours. A tablet is a little different, it is more PC like. This means those who enjoy the iPad will be further drawn into the Apple brand. The iPad is as easy to use as the iPhone, and yet it allows long use like a Apple laptop. It can be held comfortably on the sofa and be used to read an e-book. Windows 8 must provide the ability to use a tablet like a tablet, a smartphone like it is a smartphone, and a laptop and desktop like they are personal computers. This is a very big task, and if Microsoft can pull this off, they will have created the best operating system in the world.

Apple’s popularity has boomed since the release of the iPad, building on what the iPhone did for the brand. Apples were very exclusive laptops until the release of the iPhone and iPad. The release of Windows 8 and how well it works will have a huge influence on the consumer market for some time to come.