Which market are we talking about then?
If the iPad and iPhone and ... is an Apple product, targeted at the Consumer Market, and Microsoft is targeting the business market, then are they really competition for each other?
I think there are 10x the number of consumer items to be sold compared to the number of "business" items to be sold. Why? because there are families that will have 4 or 5 of something compared to the 1 or 2 working in the business world. Each family member will have more than one device in many cases, just because of how fast the devices change and what they "want". 4-5 x 2 is 10x.
Microsoft is in a downward spiral, and the consumer learning about Apple products will only provide more pressure in the business marketplace for something besides windows.
Did someone sell Linux into business use, or did IT staff that knew about it and had interest in the benefits of open source and lower cost provide the bigger pressure for change?
Staff voted with their feet to pick Linux in shops that are running it. It was not "windows" so they had to know how to drive it.
The same thing will happen to Microsoft in the desktop and portable device space. Consumer familiarity and preferences will always provide pressure on business lock-in.
