In New York Wednesday at the Nokia press conference kicking off the introduction of the Windows 8-based phones that it's depending on to save the company, Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer predicted that there would be 400 million Windows 8 devices out in the field a year from now.

Aside from phones the projection includes desktops, laptops and tablets. Ballmer may be counting devices Microsoft picks up from Android émigrés defecting in the wake of Apple's copying victory over Samsung.

Samsung announced its own Windows 8 phone last week. Microsoft also expects HTC and Huawei to make its phones.

Nokia's Lumia launch wasn't well received at all. In fact it had Nokia's stock scrapping the bottom of the barrel at under two euros but that may have been because Nokia offered no signed carriers, pricing or delivery date other than sometime in Q4 for its two new colorful second-generation Microsoft 4G phones. The market hates uncertainty.

There are now 100,000 apps for Windows phones.

The high-end of the Lumia line features wireless battery charging, an 8.7-megapixel camera that compensates for shaky hands, built-in navigation, NFC features and a 4.5-inch Pure Motion HD touch-screen display.

It uses a two-core Qualcomm Snapdragon chip while rivals are all using four-core processors.

Nokia's once 32% share of the all-important US market has shrunk to 2% or less.

Apple is scheduled to debut its rival iPhone 5 on September 12 while Android devices dominate the marketplace.