To iPad, or Not to iPad?

According to Bill Gates, iPad is not what the consumer wants. What the consumer really wants is Microsoft 8 and the surface... they just don't know it yet.

I agree that iPads are not always conducive to getting the job done. My biggest frustration with the iPad is the inability to create and edit documents and spreadsheets. Then again, Google Drive is only a click away and the convenience of having my important documents in the cloud is irreplaceable.

I have not experienced Microsoft's surface (other than what I saw in the commercial). And to be honest, I have never seen anyone else using one either.

So the question remains: Is Surface the next big thing? Are we missing out on what we really want because Apple has a clever marketing department?

What are the features that really matter in a tablet? Or are tablets the 8-track of mobile devices? Just a blip on the radar before something better comes along?