for several technologically advanced people cost isn't an issue. i'm just saying that's a good way to gauge a product... especially a Windows OS. When was the last time you saw a Windows OS for that cheap, w/o some kind of discount or promotion?
Google is the biggest threat to the desktop OS right now. They and Apple own the cell phone OS.
Now that cell phones have the horse power to run most productivity apps, it's only a matter of time before they completely replace laptops. They are just missing the keyboard, large screen, and non-volatile memory. The keyboard and screen will eventually be in every airport and hotel room, so you'll just plug your phone in and get busy. Memory will be mostly cloud-based. That structure is maturing right now.
The desktop of the near future will probably be one of these screen/keyboard accessories and a docking station for your phone acting as the CPU. Microsoft is sucking hind tit right now in that picture. So, Win8 looks like a phone/tablet OS, and is priced cheap. Desperation move IMO. We'll see.