It was less about Office than Windows getting 400m installs and becoming a platform that devs would be dumb to ignore.
The logic was:
- Windows automatically gets a shitload of installs a year (from new PC sales)
- Devs will flock to the platform because of the install numbers
- Users will buy Win8 tablets because of vibrant app ecosystem.
The issue is that despite the revamped start screen, win8 has not led to massive demand for modern apps. So they've stalled on step 2.
Make no mistake though, Win8 is still being sold on a lot of machines. At some point the majority of PCs will have access to the Windows store.
But we are strongly moving in a world in which the main "platform" for the common consumers are not more pcs, but tablet and (super)smartphones. Already this year will be sold more tablets than pcs.
This is why for microsoft was really important to get marketshare in the tablet market. Now they seriously risk to be stalled in step2 for a long time cause:
1 - no one is using winRT or willing to use it
2 - no one who is using win8 use mainly the metro ui or will to have a system in which that is the main ui
3 - for reason 1 and 2 the developers are not going to spend their time in making app for that ecosystem, preferring still win32 and the desktop/web functionalities or other os more strong in the tablet market (ios and android atm).
Also the fact that windows phone is using another group of libraries and the market is totally independent in relation of winRT is another problem.
It's like for the first time microsoft failed each important decision they had to make
The logic was: - Windows automatically gets a shitload of installs a year (from new PC sales) - Devs will flock to the platform because of the install numbers - Users will buy Win8 tablets because of vibrant app ecosystem.
The issue is that despite the revamped start screen, win8 has not led to massive demand for modern apps. So they've stalled on step 2.
Make no mistake though, Win8 is still being sold on a lot of machines. At some point the majority of PCs will have access to the Windows store.