Never Mind the iPhone 5. Where’s My Windows iPad?

The Internet will tell you that there is much sadness because Apple didn’t release an iPhone 5 yesterday. But if you’re really going to venture into the world of tech dreams deferred, then you can end up in some pretty weird places.

For instance: Did you know that lots and lots and lots of people are pining away for a tablet that runs Windows?

Here’s a new survey out from Boston Consulting Group, which says 42 percent of U.S. consumers would like to buy a tablet that runs Microsoft’s operating system. That makes it the most desired OS by a significant margin, trailed by Apple’s iOS and Google’s Android.

So that’s a little odd, right? Because on the Internet, everyone loves Apple. And also, because there is no Windows tablet.*

But the BCG study isn’t an anomaly. Forrester conducted a poll earlier this year and got the same message, with an even starker gap between Microsoft and everyone else: “Only 9% of consumers considering buying a tablet actively prefer an Android tablet — compared with 16% who prefer iOS and 46% who prefer Windows.”

When I wrote about it back in August, I found this so puzzling that I got Forrester researcher Sarah Rotman Epps on the phone to confirm that this wasn’t some weird typo. Nope, she told me.

And it’s sort of common sense: “When we survey consumers, it becomes very clear that Windows is still a very popular brand,” she said. Apple has sold tens of millions of iPads, but Microsoft has sold more than 400 million Windows 7 devices. What that says to me is that there’s a huge opportunity that Microsoft has left untapped so far.

So, what do you think, Steve Ballmer? I know you folks will be preoccupied today with a slew of Xbox announcements. But maybe when you’re done, you can give the people what they want.

*I know, I know — there are Windows tablets. But there aren’t practical, consumer-focused iPad-like tablets running Windows on the market now. Though one day there might be. Okay?