I can't wait for Microsoft Surface tablet/laptop to come out. I've noticed people go through several iterations of iPads and other tablets only to end up not really using them that much...they end up collecting dust. People value them because they see the POTENTIAL in the technology - instant on (relatively speaking), large buttons - easy to read - simple interface. Sure they work great for browsing/reading/watching video, but if you have to do anything that requires more input than what your pointer finger can do, it's painfully inefficient. Last night I spent far too long on my tablet trying to book a hotel when I could have popped open my laptop and been done in 10 minutes.

Now enter MS Surface. Flip it around/drop down the keyboard and you've got both a laptop and a tablet. All the power of a PC but in a tablet. That rocks! And tWindows XP Tablet Edition sucked because of the UI...Windows XP didn't map to touch very well. But Windows 8 UI is designed for touch. I am using the preview version on a laptop and find myself wanting to swipe the screen occasionally to scroll/etc. If I can easily and seamlessly switch back and forth between touch and standard keyboard/mouse input, I am 100% on board.

I'm not sure the argument that the price is going to be a deciding factor is fair since MS Surface really is much more than just a tablet too. If it was just another tablet, then I would agree that the price point would need to stay @$600 or less. But since the higher-end version is really a hybrid convertible, then I believe it warrants a higher price tag. If it ultimately specs out to be a decent laptop and the quality proves to be excellent (discreet GPU, i5 or i7 proc, 16GB RAM, SSD, etc), I'd probably shell out $1500-2000 for the experience.

Microsoft has a big mountain to climb to get their UI message across though. I think once people "get it" and get to try it out, they will be on board too.