I doubt it.
Remember... Most current PC users are still PC users. They'll either stick with Windows 7, or update to Windows 8 after the first service packs. Longtime PC users have a lot invested in software and hardware so this wouldn't be an easy replacement.
Most new people purchasing new PCs, wouldn't care one way or the other. For them Windows 8 maybe an easy transition especially if they were always using mobile devices. The interface, on the tiled interface side, is very much like a mobile device. For those that will use legacy-windowed applications, there's the desktop view. There are add-ons that put back the start menu which was removed, but again that's a PC user's choice to run that or not. Essentially all applications, old or new, can be run from the tiled interface. The OS will switch to desktop and back as needed. Therefore, most older apps, written at least as far back as Windows XP, will still run fine. The consensus is that anything that ran under Windows 7 will run under Windows 8. I can confirm this myself since I've upgraded from W7 to W8 so I can learn and support the OS.
Most people, unless they want a MAC, aren't going to pay the premium for the hardware and software. Macintosh computers are very much more expensive than a PC. What we pay for our super gaming PCs is bottom-line on a Macintosh. The other cost, not mentioned above, is the software. Any software still needs to be purchased for the OS, such as any games, Office applications, etc. If someone has already has a ton of PC apps, why would they want to reinvest in everything all over again? In general most Macintosh versions of the software packages, we've grown to love so much on the PC, are much more expensive. This too will determine the market.
From the general consumer's point of view, it's all about the best deal even on the lowest end. When a user can pick up a basic laptop for $350 at Dell running Windows 8 Home, why would they spend $1200 for the same thing from Apple? The Apple hardware maybe "better quality" (I put that in quotes because they use the same hardware as PC builders do), but most consumers don't see this. They see total cost of the package all for the lowest price. Get that fancy laptop for $350 and the machine comes with a bunch o' goodies, or an Apple that comes with a few programs for nearly 2-4 times as much with only a few applications.
So anyway, things aren't as simple as they look here. Personally, I'd wait and see which way the market goes. As far as running Windows 8. It's different, yet I find, on the surface, very little differences outside the obvious ones. Under the hood, as far as performance, security, and other subtle things, there are a lot of great improvements. Like anything new, it's going to take quite some time for people to adjust because most people don't like changes. But like anything for the PC, there are always ways to work around what we don't like most of the time.
John
