[TheWiseOne]

Isn't it wrong to compare the Surface to the iPad? One is a full fledged pc with a complete operating system and the other is primarily a consumption device.

I think it makes more sense to compare the Surface line to the MacBook Air than it does to compare it to iPads.

[potatolicious]

They are comparable IMO, but it really only goes to show that software largely matters more than hardware.

After some early missteps it looks like MSFT has finally gotten the "tablet as productivity device" right, along with "tablet as true laptop replacement".

Much of this is because of Windows as a platform rather than necessarily the hardware itself (though the fact that the hardware doesn't suck like your typical Dell or HP shitbox definitely helps a lot).

Which is to say, the declining fortunes of iPad is IMO largely a symptom of iOS's limitations rather than any larger rejection of the tablet form factor.