>>>VHG you seem quite worked up about it :)
Technology is a minefield for all of us, none of us can be totally sure we are buying the right thing when we buy a new piece of technology.
So I like to try to help people make a buying decision (on this forum and others), and in this case I don't like to see someone buy a "failed" product when two successful products (iPad tablets and Samsung and other Android tablets) are available.
The Surface RT HAS been a disaster for Microsoft, you only need to search for "Surface RT disaster" to find out how many web sites say that.
And it was announced this week that Steve Ballmer (head of Microsoft) was leaving his post (pushed some say).
The lacklustre Microsoft share price over the last few years is probably the main reason, but the COSTLY failure of the Surface RT (and the lukewarm reception for Windows 8) has also probably contributed to him leaving early.
It is a difficult time for Microsoft, they have seen Apple and Samsung grab the smartphone and tablet market, and are now playing a massive catch up.
Their first attempt at that market, with the Nokia Windows phones, and the Surface RT tablet, have not exactly been a resounding success and they may well find they cant get a foothold in that market now that Apple and Samsung are so strong.
I have worked in computers and technology for 40 years (30 at IBM) so I do tend to get rather passionate about it.