<p>For years, Microsoft tried unsuccessfully to make a foray into the tablet market dominated by Apple. In the last year the company had some success making its presence felt in this market, and IDC predicting better days ahead for the software pioneer.</p><p>Windows-based tablets market share has risen from less than 1% in 2012 to 3.4% in 2013, and is expected to reach 10.2% in 2017.</p><p>What made the difference? What did Microsoft do right this time around? Two strategic moves, in our opinion.</p><p>The first was development of Surface 2, which gets the hardware-software bundle right at a competitive price. With its Windows operating systems, Office Suite and keyboard, the Surface 2 has bridged the gap between laptop and tablet, appealing to users who seek the full functionality of a laptop rather than a smartphone in a tablet.</p><p><a href="http://www.forbes.com/sites/panosmourdoukoutas/2013/12/17/microsoft-gets-its-tablet-strategy-right/">Keep reading...</a></p><p>Read also:</p><p><a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/12/18/microsoft-surface_n_4461984.html">The Truth About Microsoft&#039;s Sold-Out Surfaces</a> (Huffington Post)</p><p>Explore: <a href="http://news.google.com/news/more?ncl=dj-W6-JiuPguTOMJCDX5xLIQI-hAM&ned=us">38 additional articles.</a></p>