Microsoft is showing confidence in its Surface RT Windows 8 tablet push by making plans to ship 3-5 million units by this fall. That is a big number, but not huge enough as Apple's iPad is shipping three times that amount.

If Microsoft can get enough buzz to follow the Surface RT tablet, there is a slight chance all those 3-5 million units could fly off store shelves and into consumer hands before the end of the year. However, this could bring added problems on Microsoft since Windows 8 OEMs wouldn't feel too good about this happening.

The war to dominate the tablet space is heating up dramatically with new competitors touching down on a regular basis. Apple was the company that revolutionized the tablet market, arguably on more than one occasion. Before the iPad, there were many Windows-based tablets on the scene, but none of these gadgets had the means to capture the minds and hearts of consumers until Apple chose to step in and show how it is done.

Following Apple's footsteps, Android OEMs tried enormously and failed with every attempt. The first was the Motorola XOOM tablet back in early 2011, a device that had more features and was more powerful compared to the iPad. However, usability and price were its undoing.

When everyone thought Android-based tablets were doomed to scrape the bottom of the barrel forever, in came Amazon with its Kindle Fire that runs a forked version of Android. But Google wasn't too happy about the success of the Kindle Fire since it is forked and doesn't run Google services.

Months passed before the first Nexus tablet took to the scene to become the first official Android-based tablet to have some success.

Only one company chose to sit on the bylines and watch everyone battle it out before making the decision to enter. That company is Microsoft. With the Surface RT tablet and Windows 8, Microsoft is aiming to become the first real competitor to the new Apple iPad, with intentions to take complete control of the market in the coming years. Is this possible? Yes. However, it depends on how successful Windows 8 turns out to be. If Windows 8 turns out to be another Vista, Microsoft's tablet ambitions are doomed to fail.