Is the Surface 3 a MacBook Air Killer?

Today, Microsoft unveiled the Surface Pro 3, with the clear message that this new device would replace both your iPad and your MacBook Air.  The irony of ironies, though, is this image that’s been circulating on Twitter, of the journalists covering the event in New York, the majority of whom use MacBook Airs.

In assuming that a tablet device, like the Surface Pro 3, can replace a laptop, Microsoft seems to ignore at least two factors. 

One, the kickstand and cool keyboard covers really only work on a hard surface like a desk, because of their flexible nature.  How often do you see people using their laptops, well, on their laps?  A lot.  Or on the couch?  Or in bed?  The model of removable keyboard or keyboard covers really only works in the even more isolated world of desktop computing.

And, two, how often would one use the touch features of the tablet when the device is in “laptop mode?”  I tend to still agree with the late, Steve Jobs, that prolonged use of touch on a desktop or a laptop only leads to “gorilla arm.”  And, as for holding the device in “tablet mode” for long periods of time, I definitely want a weight that’s competing with iPad Air, not MacBook Air.

I get the impulse to resolve all the different form factors we all seem to be lugging around these days: smart phones, tablets, and laptops, and I think the Surface Pro 3 may be a step in the right direction, but I don’t see this device replacing all these journalists’ (and others who use the keyboard extensively on the go) MacBook Airs any time soon, soon being a relative term in technology.