Tablet popularity is one of the reasons there has been such a steep (the lethargic economy is also a factor). Research firms Gartner and IDC both confirm that PC shipments in the third quarter of 2012 experienced an 8 percent year-over-year decline, the biggest drop since 2001.

Yet the use of tablets in the enterprise is difficult to quantify. They often don't work as straight-up laptop replacements, especially for mainstream knowledge workers who use legacy apps, need a lot of computing power and have multiple apps running at once.

On the other hand, a tablet such as the iPad and even smaller tablets like Google Nexus 7 could work well as the main device for C-level execs, sales people and field service workers who are more mobile and do not create a lot of content.

Windows 8 's bigger tablet sizes, access to the full Office suite, more controlled security features and compatibility with legacy apps may conquer some of the previous tablet limitations, but it also comes with some drawbacks.

Microsoft will release two versions of Windows 8 for tablets. A power-efficient, ARM-based tablet running a Windows 8 variant called Windows RT will be released on Oct. 26 and be designed by both hardware partners and under the Microsoft name with the Surface tablet. Windows 8 Pro tablets, which will run a full version of Windows 8 and use Intel processors, will be released in January 2013.