I completely agree. But, I also think it is just as odd to have to choose your device based on what you want to do with it. To me, this is why the Surface is so cool. Attach the keyboard, you have a work device. Detach it, you have a consumption device.

To be fair, the iPad (and Android tablets) with a keyboard provides similar flexibility, but I think the desktop paradigm is what is missing.

I came here looking for this comment. I have an iPad3 with a Zagg keyboard and I freaking love it. Imagine the same level of flexibility with access to legacy Excel/Word/IE apps when you need it, but also access to newer more friendly replacements as time allows!

My wife needs a new laptop, but only because she requires access to these legacy apps. Going into "legacy" mode for this, but providing the mobile consumption experience and productivity of a convienent keyboard is a killer combo.

I'm actually fairly impressed with the promise of the Surface. I might go as far to say this will be what people will be carrying in 5 years or less.

I can understand you may not like typing on a touch screen, but it's pretty clear that for a fairly large portion of the market (70%? 80%?), typing on a glass screen is fairly acceptable. Otherwise you wouldn't see such dominance of keyboardless phones over those with hardware keyboards.

I carried a blackberry for 5 years (and sent dozens of emails a day from it) but I've never particularly found that switching to a glass screen on iPhone and now on Android impacts my ability to compose messages. Most of the folks I hear complaining about screen keyboards are still using hardware keyboards and haven't used both methods for any extended period of time.

Software keyboards double the effective screen size. They may be inferior in every other respect, but when your screen is about 4 inches diagonally, it doesn't matter. You're willing to trade a whole lot to be able to see more.