I don't know if Windows 8 induced PC sales can be compared to previous versions. The upgrade from 98/2000/ME/(whatever) to XP seemed, at least to the consumer,

I don't know if Windows 8 induced PC sales can be compared to previous versions. The upgrade from 98/2000/ME/(whatever) to XP seemed, at least to the consumer, like a monumental shift. People expected the same for Vista, and 7 was definitely a revolutionary improvement. But that's it. Windows 7 is a great product, and I don't think anyone is approaching Windows 8 with the mindset that it's going to fix anything with Windows 7. If you buy it, you're probably buying it for the features or the hype. Add that to the hardware stagnation, and there's not much incentive to buy a new machine. Lastly, we have more electronics than we did several years ago, so we've artificially extended the useful life of each machine. Naturally, we're going to renew our PCs less. So, the article got one thing right: tablets, just like phones, are going to play a big part in future sales.