The second generation Surface is a well-built, highly functional machine but it has yet to catch on in the market to the same degree of that the iPad has. For Microsoft, the Surface is a must-win device as the company shifts from a software focused company, to a device and services model where its tablet plays a key part.
Without the Surface, Microsoft's consumer branded ecosystem is incomplete as they have mobile with the Nokia mobile acquisition, the living-room with the Xbox One and the personal computer with the Surface 2 and Surface Pro 2. Therefore, Microsoft will back the Surface line and force its way to becoming a household name, no matter how large the previous write-downs may have been.
The OS:
Here's the thing with Windows RT: it works well for its intended use. It may not be popular to like Windows RT but the OS handled nearly all of my needs with the idea being that the Surface 2 is a tablet. It does fall a bit short of being a laptop replacement with the lack of a full-fledged Photoshop or my preferred photo application, Picasa, but for a device to get on the web, get some work done, and have plenty of battery life leftover, it's perfect.
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