Is this coming from any actual experience with a Surface
Tried to use them a few times in stores. Pesky salesmen each time assumed I was one of the rare ones who actually wanted one so it's from limited hands-on experience.
Even independent apple dealers out here leave you alone for as long as you want.
FWIW: while we have a few iPad I don't use any except to do an occasional usability check on. I don't consume content, I try to produce content and for that a real computer is far superior to any tablet.
But that said the experience of using either an old windows machine, an iPad, andriod device or a mac is all far simpler and requires less non-intuitive stuff than any modern version of windows (RT, 8 or - the worst of them all I guess Server 2012) [That latter I've used a bit more - for pay - I don't do windows unless I get paid a lot, so there the experience is more complete (but bad and frustrating at how bad it is made)]
What I honestly don't get is why people put up with having to learn AND re-learn to use the stuff.
First off: why have to learn to use it?
A toddler can use an iPhone from merely seeing a grown up use one, they get how to do things long before their motor skills are accurate enough to actually do it [and before you come back with smart ass remarks: yes I've seen my niece learn to use my phone]
And next: why have to relearn user interfaces?
Back in 1916 Cadillac came out with the first user interface for a car like we all know. Today, virtually every car produced (and I'm saying that only to leave room for some extremely specialist cases), still uses that same user interface: clutch (if any), break, throttle, are all still in the same place. Sure there's been tweaks, but try to drive an older car (For example a Ford Model T) and any of us would be at a loss how to operate it unless somebody explains you how to use it. However get a Cadillac Type 53 and you know how to operate it (provided you can drive a manual gear of course).
1916: That's 8 years after said model T made cars popular. In 8 years they managed to standardize a user interface for the next century (I'm taking a leap here that the current arrangement will last 3 more years... safe bet it seems) ...
Now that doesn't mean one is to make the user experience between a bicycle and a car the same (nor between a phone and a laptop): but they can't even manage it between versions of the same brand of desktop OSes...
But if you insist on drinking the Microsoft cool-aid: enjoy your gorilla-arm!