They didn't have time to finish a metro version of office. If you are using office on an RT device you need a keyboard and/or mouse.

On the Surface with the touch cover you get the keyboard and a touchpad. It works surprisingly well. You can also connect a mouse if you desire.

I disagree with your statement that they "dropped the ball". Including Office 2013 is a huge bonus for anyone buying an RT tablet. If you are looking at RT because of Office that means you want to be productive on the tablet and therefore need a keyboard and/or mouse.

The only downside to owning a Surface is the lack of apps. If they are capable of getting 125k apps on Windows Phone they will be able to get apps even faster on Win8/WinRT. The bonus for apps is that any app you buy for your tablet will also work on your laptop and desktop.

If you are already invested in Apple's ecosystem I don't really see why you would want to switch. If you are running PC's at home/work then you should at least include Win8/WinRT tablets among your possible choices.

I've had a Surface for a few days now and it is very popular in my household. The kickstand and touch cover are amazing. The screen looks great and the OS has been smooth and fast. I set up multiple accounts on it for my wife and son. They want their own Surface but that'll have to wait. I've never owned an iPad so I can't compare the two.