These sorts of numbers are stupid.
Which category has tablets that are also "laptops"?
MS apparently took 7.5% of the global tablet market, of which the majority was x86 tablets.
Are these PC sales, or tablet sales? Or both?
Also, you can get a tablet for £50 or so (super low end), a low end laptop is £200~£250. While £200~£250 isn't a massive amount, £50 really isn't a massive amount. That's basically a meal out as mentioned already. Is it surprising that people would buy more £50 tablets? Hell, I have two tablets myself, although one is an x86 tablet (Core i5), and no laptop.
Tablets outselling PCs is also meaningless unless it's impacting PC sales figures, which the article doesn't mention at all.
Taking marketshare is one thing, but when that's because the "market" has expanded, rather than being replaced, that's something else entirely.
Poor "story" with no thought put into it at all.
The other link in the story notes a 15% decline in PC sales and a 188% increase in tablet sales. Marketshare might be changing, but the market is way bigger than it was (like... double the size).
But again, no mention of a "pure" tablet vs x86 tablet split.