Microsoft Surface surfaced

I want Microsoft to survive in the tablet market. In general, I don't like dominance. The world needs choices! innovations!

Here we go, the Microsoft Surface is announced. Nope, no details on price or when it is available.

At a glance, this looks just like an IPad, but with 2 good things built in: the keyboard and the stand. Yikes, an Ipad cover will cost you almost $50! A keyboard will cost you even more!

This is likely to be good at one thing that other tablets can't: Microsoft Office. It is hard if not impossible to craft a document more fancy than a regular text file on other devices. This thing has potential: if the price is right, if the keyboard works well, if it is responsive, if it doesn't have Blue Screen of Death.

How do you write a program on it? It better be EASY to catch on. Face it: Objective C for IPad programming is hard. Fortunately there are html5 converters and other easier libraries.

I welcome the Surface into the tablet ecosystem. Lame Android pad makers would be very afraid.