and how much does a bluetooth or case keyboard cost for an ipas? And then you have to add iWorks to the iPad...

The surface works fine without a physical keyboard.

As to software problems, I haven't heard of any major problems with apps not working. The Xbox music and video apps are supposed to need some work, but all the apps I tried worked fine.

It might work fine without one, but surely the fold-up, fitted keyboard is it's USP over the rivals you mentioned. And to my mind it's a similar deal with the software; actual software that in theory works seamlessly with what you have already in comparison to apps. Only as I understand it the cupboard's pretty bare at the moment

Surface to my mind is a very versatile laptop if they can bring the price down slightly and get the sort of software on it people expect from a Windows machine; surely that's the point of Windows 8 across devices?

It is the same as thw iPad and a Mac, they both have the same underlying OS, but you can't run OS X software on an iPad. With Windows RT and Windows 8, it is a similar deal, with the exception that W8 can run the apps from RT as well as traditional Windows software.

RT currently has a desktop to allow Flash and an RT version of office to run. Microsoft want to remove thw desktop from RT in the long run.

I think that they do not have the buying power right now to justify slashing the price right now. These may be already being sold at close to cost. Though much of that cost could be in the OS so there could be scope.

I'm using my mum's car to get to work and hadn't checked the tyres in a while. I looked this morning.

The front two were worn down to the canvas.

Not good with the snow coming.

Irish radio DJs, north and south - they just have some notion that they're whimsical and cute, when all they are is [LIFTED] dull.

America - A horse with no name. Is it just me or is that one of the most boring songs ever?

Great, now I've got "ba la da-de da da, ba la-la da da" stuck in my head...

My sincere apologies - it really is an atrocious song

I think it's a cracking song.

I used to love listening to it along with a few other similar minded tracks back when I was down south on a local "easy-listening" radio station. They'd play other songs like "brown eyed girl". Both of those were about heroin apparently.

I don't mind some of Van's stuff or indeed more laidback tunes, but that song really drags for me.

Kill it with fire. Then bury the ashes far, far below the ground and let us never speak of that song ever again.