Without doubt, the Surface tablets -- one line running Windows RT, the other running Windows 8 -- have their fans and detractors, but most acknowledge the move will be a game-changer for Microsoft, whether it's successful or it falls flat on its face.

Sure, Microsoft has made hardware in the past with mixed success, but Surface is something different, argues in The Verge. "The announcement of the Surface shows that Microsoft is ready to make a break with its history -- a history of hardware partnerships which relied on companies like Dell, HP, or Acer to actually bring its products to market," he wrote.

"That may burn partners in the short term," he continues, "but it could also give Microsoft something it desperately needs: a clear story."

How clear that story will be remains to be seen, however. The iPad is a single product. Surface will be two products running operating systems designed for different processors. That's bound to create confusion among some tablet buyers.

On the other hand, Microsoft's new tablet designs could bring a level of rationality to the non-iPad market that has been unseen thus far, contends , of ABC News.