Morgan Stanley survey finds 25% of tablet buyers are waiting for Windows 8 tablets

Morgan Stanley has conducted a survey which shows Microsoft could slip near instantly into the second spot in the tablet market.

According to their survey 25% of those intending to buy a tablet were planning to buy a Windows 8 tablet, ahead of 22% who intend to buy an Android tablet.

It seems its all about Office, said Morgan Stanley analyst Katie Huberty.

“Our survey indicated Microsoft Office is the most important software feature to consider when purchasing a tablet, especially for first-time purchasers,” Huberty says. “Sixty-one percent of prospective tablet purchasers indicated that Office was the most important software feature vs. 44 percent for current tablet owners — which suggests there may be pent up demand for a tablet offering with a prepackaged Office bundle.”

The finding likely explains why Google purchased Quick Office, but also leaves Microsoft with a dilemma.

The company has been working on an Office product for iOS and Android, but releasing the software will likely make Google and iOS tablets more attractive and remove a major selling point from Windows 8 tablets.

This may very well explain recent rumours that the Office for iOS suite has been indefinitely delayed until Microsoft makes their mind up.

Do our readers think Microsoft should keep Office exclusive to Windows 8 tablets or do they risk losing revenue from buyers on other operating systems? Let us know below.

Via AllThingsD.com