I doubt we'll see Windows going away any time soon, despite the rise of other OSs. I have no respect for Chromebooks, which depend on a single, consumer-unfriendly company for their OS and the safety and privacy of their users' data. Useful computing devices shouldn't depend on wifi being available all the time.

Where Microsoft is falling down is in mobile devices. They have no phones. They have no useful tablets -- tablet computers based on Windows are relatively expensive, and Windows is not a good tablet operating system. For those who actually like Chromebooks, there is no Windows equivalent to ChromeOS. Windows is most relevant now because it is the most widely-accepted OS driving the widest range of hardware , making it highly relevant to both consumers and enterprises.

Microsoft is wisely hedging its bets by embracing Android interoperability in Windows (how good that is, I have no idea) and working hard on WSL (which I know is good and is improving all the time).

This doesn't mean I think Windows is all that good. It's certainly usable, and often reliable. It doesn't require a wifi connection to work (at least not yet). I use it for hours a day for my work, and I still have three old Windows laptops that serve as backup machines.

But I'm an Apple guy now. I think it says something that even though I use a Windows machine more than my MacBook Air, I keep trying to use Apple keyboard shortcuts on Windows. Apple isn't perfect, of course, but they have strong positions in desktops, laptops, tablets and phones (oh, and watches as well). I can live without Windows, though I don't mind poking around in it now and again. Certainly the gaming aspect is irrelevant to me, since I don't play.

If people don't want to (or can't) pay the money for Apple, they'd be better off with Windows than with ChromeOS.