I don't think it's entirely Microsoft fanboys that are trying to champion the Surface.
A lot of people still think an iPad can't be used for content creation (not true at all; the thing has supported a Bluetooth keyboard since day one, there's tons of music being made with the thing, there's tons of apps for content creation at this point...) or productivity purposes (a somewhat fair point, but unless Surface somehow takes off, I can guarantee there will be Office for iPad someday). Ask anyone how they can justify spending the same amount of money as an iPad on a tablet that's smaller, with a far worse screen, with almost no ecosystem to speak of, unproven software, and with no accessory ecosystem, and they'll probably tell you "because this one will let me be more productive!"
I dunno. I try not to get too negative about products. I've come around on a lot of Android tablets; the Nexus 7 is a genuinely impressive device for $200. But the Surface seems not only woefully underpowered, but with Windows 8, has proven to manage to be cross-contaminating, harming the desktop OS that Microsoft had so finely perfected with Windows 7.
I don't think surface is perfect, nor does it match the iPad in every area, but a proper kickstand + keyboard/touchpad + office puts it in a completely different league to the iPad in terms of productivity. If you want to work when mobile, this is right up there. It is overpriced, but so is the iPad.
As for 'cross contaminating', the convergence of tablet and laptop OSes is inevitable. IMO microsoft would be foolish to ignore it. Their moves toward convergence are also far better than Apples iOS influenced changes to OSX, despite being far more bold.
A lot of people still think an iPad can't be used for content creation (not true at all; the thing has supported a Bluetooth keyboard since day one, there's tons of music being made with the thing, there's tons of apps for content creation at this point...) or productivity purposes (a somewhat fair point, but unless Surface somehow takes off, I can guarantee there will be Office for iPad someday). Ask anyone how they can justify spending the same amount of money as an iPad on a tablet that's smaller, with a far worse screen, with almost no ecosystem to speak of, unproven software, and with no accessory ecosystem, and they'll probably tell you "because this one will let me be more productive!"
I dunno. I try not to get too negative about products. I've come around on a lot of Android tablets; the Nexus 7 is a genuinely impressive device for $200. But the Surface seems not only woefully underpowered, but with Windows 8, has proven to manage to be cross-contaminating, harming the desktop OS that Microsoft had so finely perfected with Windows 7.