Folks that know me are well aware of my increasing level of fanboy-ism with Microsoft products and software these days.

Starting with the Zune hardware and software, through Xbox 360, through the Windows Phones, and now Windows 8 and Surface, I feel like Microsoft is on the edge of really taking computing into the future. Apple’s done it with the iPhone and iPad for mobile computing. My bet is on Microsoft to take it the rest of the way for for that tower and clunky laptop you have at home. The one you’ve considered giving to your father-in-law because you spend all your time on your phone or tablet.

I’ve been reading every review I can find about the Surface running Windows RT because it’s meant to be Microsoft’s example to the world on how to present Windows 8. I’ve been salivating for one since it was announced alongside it’s still-to-come brother, Surface Pro, and I’m disappointed at some of the scores I’m seeing.

As a accidental fan of every mobile OS underdog (remember all those WebOS posts), I knew what some of the reviews were going to say. The number and quality of apps is lacking. Fair point. Windows 8 is new, and the Windows Phone hasn’t launched quite yet, so developers aren’t about to devote resources to the marketplace, because the user base just isn’t there.

But what I’m surprised to hear is the occasional sluggish nature of the device. It seems to me that Microsoft has more or less being doing everything right in the lead up to this device. Secret announcement, big marketing, low on details but high on sexy images— they’ve taken those pages right out of Apple’s playbook. They are being fair to all their OEM partners with pricing, so you don’t have HP or Lenevo writing anonymous articles about how Microsoft is going to crush the PC industry.

So I’m shocked to hear that didn’t follow through on the hardware and or the software that runs that hardware. The problems do sound small, and likely fixable with a few patches and updates, but something like this, a new (kinda) form factor and radical redesign of our computing habits from the past 17 years— it just HAS to work, and work, really well.

I had a feeling I wouldn’t buy this device from the start. The Surface Pro sounds like the way to go, because it has the same shape and design, but it’ll actually run Windows 8. A full-fledged version of Windows 8, meaning I can have full access to the billions of programs out there in the world alongside the tablet interface.

I’m likely going to upgrade my Windows 7 laptop to Windows 8 as well. I’m aware that there are some issues with using 8 on a standard laptop, but my fanboy-ism is getting the better of me.