Windows 8 to hit the market in October, sources say Updated at 11:15 a.m., March 20: Microsoft had no comment on the report or its plans. [Updated at 11:15 a.m. March 20: At this point in the tablet revolution, however, Apple is in its third iteration of its incredibly popular iPad and there are numerous Android-based offerings. "Microsoft isn't fighting the battle it's used to fighting," said Michael Garetnberg, a tech industry analyst for Gartner, Inc. This is a universe that has changed. With well-established tablets on the market and the ecosystems that have developed around them, Microsoft will have to deliver more than just a tablet and an OS. Ecosystems are driving purchases these days. Gartenberg said. Consumers aren't buying the new iPad because it has a Retina display -- it's because of what they can do with the apps that use the Retina display. With a huge gap between tablet market leader Apple and the Android tablet developers, Microsoft may have an opportunity to insert itself as a competitor for the No. 2 spot, he said. A lot is riding on the success of a Microsoft Windows 8 tablet, especially as Apple pulls away from the pack with its third-generation iPad, which promises to sell well in the holiday season. "Certainly Microsoft needs to have a device on the market...but they also need to make sure it's compelling."]