The biggest issue for me is the lack of Outlook being included in Office RT. The Surface is the best competitor to the iPad in a business environment that I've seen so far. Outlook would be the "Killer App" in kicking out the iPads and moving Surfaces in. The Surface Pro will be too heavy and too expensive to compete with the iPad, so not including Outlook was a big mistake...
Well heft and expense are debatable. There will certainly be light Windows 8 tablets that are competitive in weight with other tablets. You also have to consider features (ports and battery) that may come with extra weight.
Surface Pro - 2lbs includes digitizer layer and pen plus many port options not on iPad and touch cover 0.46lbs = 2.46lbs
iPad - 1.44lbs plus additional keyboard accessory weight (e.g. logitech ultrathin, random choice) 0.78lbs = 2.22lbs
Asus Transformer TF300T - 1.4lbs plus dock (which includes extended battery and ports) 1.2lbs = 2.6lbs
I would say this is extremely in the range of other tablets.
iPads aren't exactly cheap $499-$829 for the current model and certainly some full Windows 8 tablets will also slot into that price range. So maybe not a Surface Pro but one of the many Windows 8 options from other OEMs.
As far as Outlook and and the business environment this is expressly not the purpose for Windows RT and Home and Student Office that it includes. Mistake or not, that isn't the device MS wants you to buy for that situation and is probably one of the biggest reasons they intentionally did not include Outlook (aside from technical issues).
http://www.surfaceforums.net/forum/...des/1924-office-home-student-2013-rt-faq.html
Can I use Office Home & Student 2013 RT for work or business?
As sold, Office Home & Student 2013 RT Preview and the final edition are not designed for commercial, nonprofit, or revenue-generating activities. However, organizations who purchase commercial use rights or have a commercial license to Office 2013 suites can use Office Home & Student 2013 RT for commercial, nonprofit, or revenue-generating activities.
JP