The difference: MS's competitors are not named Sony and Nintendo this time. Apple and Google move faster than MS; enjoy huge brand name recognition; have as much resource as MS does. One may only look at Google vs. Bing to see it. Windows Live Search was introduced in 2006, following by Bing. How much market share has it captured?
Another difference: the ecosystems of iOS and Android dwarf that of the games market, making playing catch up much harder (when will Nokia catch up to Samsung?)
Can MS become a viable tablet option? Absolutely. MS has limitless pocket. Will it be focused and nimble enough to do it? That's still an open question. Meanwhile, the competition doesn't stand still.
Another difference: the ecosystems of iOS and Android dwarf that of the games market, making playing catch up much harder (when will Nokia catch up to Samsung?)
Can MS become a viable tablet option? Absolutely. MS has limitless pocket. Will it be focused and nimble enough to do it? That's still an open question. Meanwhile, the competition doesn't stand still.