I suspect the end of Microsoft is right around the corner...
Not bloody likely.
The true fact here now that it really looks like Microsoft is in really big trouble, Windows 7 will hold up for a few more years... No one will be touching Windows 8.1 face the fact...
Remember when Vista did such a belly-flop, a few years back, and MS was desperately scrambling to keep customers by offering them free "downgrades" back to XP? I think lots of folks have been hanging back from W8, wondering if they were going to do a similar about-face. But it's clear by now that MS is moving forward with 8, and putting some good R&D muscle behind it. That, and the improving mood of us early-adopters has to have an effect. People are often afraid of change, especially when it comes in a weird-looking package.