"Other hardware manufacturers will still make Windows 8 tablets, laptops, desktops, and crazy computers but Microsoft's Surface will be the reference design; it is the pinnacle of how Microsoft envisions its software and the hardware working together," she writes. "It sets the bar higher for the HPs, Dells, and other computer makers of the world."

Whether Surface can compete for market share with the iPad has also been a popular topic of discussion since the platform's unveiling on June 18. Its prospects among business users looks promising to , of the Pittsburgh Post Gazette. "Business technology people know how to manage Microsoft networks and probably would prefer integrating Microsoft products to Apple ones," he writes.

However, IT people have less say today on what devices employees use on the job than they have in the past, as the gains strength in many organizations. In that case, the consumer play will be very important for Surface.

Microsoft can do well there, too, Kurtz argues, but it needs to create an ecosystem for Surface that's similar to the one for the iPad. "If Microsoft can use its considerable muscle to generate this kind of environment for Surface, it has a shot," he notes.

That's something that Microsoft has done before, although it hasn't always been successful at it, according to of CNN Money. "There are plenty of examples of failed elements, from the Zune MP3 player to the dismal Kin phone," he writes. "But, overwhelmingly, Microsoft has proven it can create a vibrant and profitable ecosystem."