Well, no. The macbook air has a keyboard, it has been available for a long time, and it's not running Windows 8; so it's a bit of a stretch to call them comparable just like that.
I'd hold off on "better" until they ship; no word on exactly which i5, and no idea on battery life (bigger battery than the 11" MBA, but software + screen are unknowns).
And it's really a $1100 Surface Pro, because if you're using it like a laptop, you'll want a keyboard. Still competitive, but don't be fooled.
Minus the keyboard :). Add that and the price is in line with the MBA. Surface Pro is still the better deal in my opinion, because of the newer CPU and better screen.
The markup on the typecover is hard to justify when looking at the competition. The keyboard on the asus transformer cost about the same except that it also has a big battery inside, extending the battery life of the tablet when used in laptop mode.
And it can be used as a laptop, in your bed, in your lap.. not like the Surface RT which doesn't rely on the type cover but a stand that is only stable when put on a desk or table.
The most comparable machine I see is the mac book air. I paid $1300.00 for it and it doesn't' even include a touch screen.
Maybe Apple overpriced their macbook air's?