Nope.

That Android will gain ground on Windows is practically a guarantee. This is the first time in decades that MS will have to share store display-space with at least two OSs that have generated tremendous momentum in the last short years. Android in particular is gobbling up user share.

And, Android does process multitasking. The opinion that it doesn't is based entirely on ignorance. It does it differently than something like Linux or Windows, but make no mistake, it is there. In fact it offers finer granularity than many traditional system and gives developers the ability to choose when the app will be cached given the user-driven events (eg. losing focus).

If you were implying user-level multitasking (eg. display panes, or floating windows), then generally yes, this is currently lacking as an OS feature.* However, I expect that this will become part of the OS in short term, and I certainly hope a multi-pane approach is implemented.

*I say generally, in that some apps (eg. DICE video player) exploit remote-view to create floating windows regardless of the apps visibly running underneath.

-Capt'n

Android will outsell Windows, OSX, iOS and Linux in a matter of weeks/months.

It all depends how you categorize things. I for one won't call a 7in craplet a competitor for a 17in gaming laptop.

Android will win in phones (I mean they already won).
But to see if they will in on TVs is unlikely (against cable tv, other competitors, consoles).
And to see them win in tablets is also unlikely (iPad is preferred, Win8 is. better).

So unless Android does something drastic like W8, it won't be able to dominate the tablet industry and won't be making the laptop/desktop market share either. Those enhancements may not win it the tablet market, nor make a dint into the laptop/desktop market... but it can cause it to win/dominate the TV/console market.

The little things have a big effect, usually long time into the industry.

Captain's in the house
*woot woot*

If you segment the market into specialities then yes, mobile chipsets will pale compared to the power of a dedicated gaming platform. I'm referring to the general market and sales specifically (not quality, specs, or openness -- just consumer preference).

Android is currently selling more phones than any other product represented by an alternative OS with healthy growth and momentum. This could certainly change... There is no definitive "won," merely winning for the moment, just ask Nokia.

And Android is a stones throw from taking the front running position in the tablet market sales as well (at least in the US). Tablet growth has seen impressive growth over the last year, which seems similar to what happened with smartphones. And devices with much nicer characteristics are on the horizon (the crazy Nexus 10, which I guess will cost around $350).

What people don't really realize is that iOS and Android are ALREADY taking a bite out of the general PC industry and are gaining steam rapidly. MS's Win8 seems like a play for MS to increase profitability (funnel everyone through the Windows Store), and to slow the advance of the competition into territory once exclusively monopolized by them. Any growth is good growth for Android in this regard.

I could say the same for Windows Phone 8 in the smartphone market. It's Android/iOS's game to lose as they currently dominate the space.

But make no mistake Android's technology strategy is extremely sound and very forward thinking. It is built for portability, across architectures, and in different form factors (some headless). As chip prices continue to fall as do other device components, expect to see Android pop up in unlikely places like in-car dash displays, refrigerators, thermostats, stereos, TVs, mirrors, light fixtures, watches, etc, etc, etc. It will empower the capability of connectivity far beyond what we're accustomed to and already has begun in some cases. This same portability has allowed Android to so easily spill over from smartphones to tablets, to TVs (ie. more robust UI API, multi-core support, etc).

- Capt'n

I disagree that Android will overtake Windows in number of devices in 2016. Why 2016? It will happen in the next 2-3 years. 2012 already see the Windows user base declining while Android is galloping ahead. However the comparison is largely moot as we are not comparing like devices. PCs and laptops against tablets and smartphones is like apples and oranges. Interesting but irrelevant.

Android is a freight-train. With the announcement of the Nexus 4, Nexus 7 refresh, and the Nexus 10, it should give Android another sizeable boost. Consider the starting prices of each $299, $199, $399. All three together they cost under $900, which is a steal by any metric. And the Nexus 4 and Nexus 10 should be top-of-class performers.

Plus Android 4.2 has some out-of-the-box features that the lay-consumer will love. Features like Photo Shpere comes to mind. Also multiple users is very, very welcome.

But perhaps the biggest news today is that Walmart will be carrying the Nexus 7. Walmart is HUGE. This means that this holiday season, an ultra-cheap and ultra-capable device will be offered at half the cost of the competition. It also opens the door for the retailer to carry the N4 and N7 in time.

Lastly, the Nexus 7 has had a noticeable effect on 'tablet-optimized' apps for Android, and I suspect that the Nexus 10 will continue this growth spurt into the larger form factor.

- Capt'n

Android versus Windooooz...
m$ (aka m@ke$$h!t) is only for one reason... 30 years ago IBM was too lazy to develop an OS for something (PC, XT, AT and Co.) they thought would only be a couple years worth fluke and therefore couldn't be bothered to develop an OS themselves...
by the time they realized their mistake, the beast was lose and became the 800 pounds gorilla of the software market...

did IBM miss out on the PC market altogether?
not quite; for nearly 15 years they were the number one "personal system" seller until...
until they realized that the PC had run its course and was going to the technological junk yard and...
liquidated their PC division

7 years later, PC gone?
well, i own two desktop replacement laptops, a nettop... and a pocket computer ¦-))))
dead? not yet, but let's be realistic, the heydays of the personal computer are gone.
especially at the workplace (the primary market for IBM, btw.) BBs, iPotatos and Android devices are used more and more instead of computers... to basically... communicate.

• phone calls
• SMSes
• e-mail
• chat
• social media

all from one and the same device...

that Maemo (nearly) was precursor in the integration (why did those early samples miss GSM !?! ) be noted btw...

and m$?
well, they became the 800 lb gorilla only because... T-Rex let it run.
now, Android occupies the mobile device market and m@ke$$h!t... will never get more then crumbles... until they disappear.

btw, funny that both 30 yrs ago and today the rotten potato company was an early adopter and implementer of the technologies... but failed to conquer the market. last time, they kicked Steve Jobs out and nearly went bankrupt... who will save Apple this time???

dont think it will replace windows anytime

jsut imagine when you're in RDP session, then the background demon will autokill your rdp session/ssh session while you are reading some instruction at your docs/browser, or vice versa when you're on rdp session/ssh session

There are major differences between Google and any other site that just happens to collect data because they need to:

One difference is size. For the average internet user, Google is everywhere and collects more of his data than any other company. Think Google Search, YouTube, Mail, Google Talk, Docs, Plus... it's everywhere. I wouldn't mind one company having access to my mail/contacts and another one having access to my cloud documents while yet a third one knows what I search for on the web... But the fact that all of this is linked and combined by only one company is irritating.

Another difference is that for every other site, I know that they "watch me" while I'm there.... and don't know me when I'm not. Nokia has a lot of my personal data, for example, but I'm comfortable with it because I can tell when I'm on one of their sites and act accordingly. - Google offers hidden services to site owners (like Google Analytics). Through these popular services, they keep collecting data even though I don't see anything Google-related on the site I'm browsing.

A third issue is that Google's approach to data is different from most other web services (except facebook etc.). Most companies need to store your data in order to provide the services at all. They have a business model that doesn't depend on your data. It just happens that they get to know you as their customer. - For Google, on the other hand, personal data is the business model. They don't offer services and then find that as a side effect, these services give them access to personal information. No, it's the other way round: They need data and offer free services like honey pots so that people give them what they want.

This on the web alone is a threat. But combined with devices like smartphones that reach even deeper into your real life, it's really, really dangerous.

This is where I stopped reading your post.