On June 19, 2012, just after Microsoft announced they were manufacturing their own version of a tablet PC running Windows 8, called the Surface, I asked the TechRepublic audience if they were interested in the device. As the TechRepublic audience is not only very tech savvy but also very curious, I expected some interest. However, I did not expect such a high level of acceptance.

Yes, we want it.

IT professionals are much more interested in purchasing a Windows 8-based tablet than they are in purchasing any other tablet, including the Apple iPad. There are those who will tell you that the iPad is the only tablet worth owning, but the evidence suggests that, in the eyes of the TechRepublic membership, this is just not true.

Over the next few weeks (and perhaps years), we’ll be looking into this trend to reveal why IT professionals are leaning in this direction. So far, much of what we are hearing is that the IT pro is looking to Windows for the additional security and tools that will help them manage devices attached to their enterprise domains.

Of course, this attitude may fly in the face of what users want, especially in an increasingly “bring your own device” world. How this plays out is going to be very interesting for the industry.

Do you want further proof? Check out the results of Bill Detwiler’s poll in the Cracking Open Blog.

Do the results of these polls surprise you? Do you agree with your peers? What is your thought process on incorporating tablet devices into your organization? How does BYOD play into these questions?

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