D-fence
The three-alarm fire that Microsoft needs to put out fast is the one involving iPads getting into corporate accounts. OK, they blew it on mobile: they didn't think it was important, so now they don't have any serious phone presence, and they don't have any serious tablet presence, and there are little general-purpose computers sprouting like weeds in all their major accounts.
They're working as fast as they can to catch up, but in the meantime they have to halt the sale of non-Windows tablets. We can't have corporate execs and road warriors finding out that there are user experiences other than Microsoft Windows(tm).
If the Surface looks and smells like a laptop, it's because the target market is today carrying laptops. Microsoft has to stop those guys from getting iPads before the IT Department gets dragged into supporting iPads. All the other reasons that people buy iPads can wait. Priority One is to stop the invasion of the major accounts.
