Here is the problem with the Microsoft offering...
“It runs on a full version of Windows 8.1, so users can do just about anything on a Surface Pro 2 that they would on any other Windows laptop or desktop computer. “
Bloated code. That is a lot of useless programing. Tablets serve a different niche from desktop computing.
A cheap windows laptop with a touchscreen does not a tablet make.
Might as well actually buy a cheap windows laptop since it’s cheaper than a surface with practically all the functionality.
Nobody cares about bloated code if the tool meets their needs. As business moves to the cloud, the need to run legacy apps (eg Office) will continue to disappear.
The Google calculator is far more convenient than trying to find a pocket calculator, even though it is vast overkill in a technical sense.
Maybe not for everybody. I will be looking for a new laptop next year, and would seriously think about a tablet instead if it had all the functionality of a laptop.