I have both the Surface RT 1 and 2. I got them as a Promo for attending a conference and for porting apps to Windows 8.
Here are my experiences:
Windows 8 on a Tablet with a touch screen is actually not bad. It begins to make sense as you figure out all the gestures. I had to google like 3 things, but once you get their design language its quite nice.
Unlike an iPad (which is also nice) Surface Tablets have a MicroSD expansion, USB ports and HDMI out. This means that its very good at many things an iPad can't do. Like storing your kids videos, connecting to a LCD TV and watching them etc, hooking up a mouse, keyboard, printers etc.
The actual tablet is of high quality in terms of hardware. The software is good too as it has no bloatware. Camera is great for Skype.
Windows 8 marketplace is getting there. All the apps I like are there even Team Viewer which is great for connecting to remote computers. There is a lack of games, but they are also getting there. Outlook is now included which is great for people that work in a corporate environmnet.
So mostly because we got our Surface tablets for free my family uses them quite a bit. My wife travels with Surface 1 all the time and she likes it. She will use it over her laptop when she can't because it turns on instantly.
I use my Surface 2 for quick browsing around the house (visiting Amiga.org) and checking email. I also take it to our lake house and hook it up to our TV to watch movies as we have no cable there.
So all its easy to bash Microsoft because they are evil blah blah blah. But this time I don't think they did a bad job.
Using Windows 8 on a PC without touchscreen, different ballgame. Not as easy for sure. Bringing back the Start button with both the Metro and non Metro apps in one place will help I think. However the initial version was not good. It does boot much faster and seems to be more stable, so its still not a terrible upgrade one you learn it but no great by any stretch.
PS, I am typing this on my MacBook Air sitting beside an Amiga 500 and Mac SE FDHD. I am just saying not a Microsoft lover, but I like to give credit where its due.
