Miller echoed Moorhead's assessment of the Windows Store as it exists now, and cited the Hulu, Netflix and Kindle apps as examples of solid last-minute additions.

"Right now, there is a decent quantity of apps to kick-start the platform, and I think, as long as a consumer has modest expectations of Windows RT and the Surface RT outside of Web browsing, email and the collection of apps that are there, then they'll be happy," said Miller in an email reply to questions.

Not everyone agreed.

While the overwhelming majority of the reviewers who examined the Surface RT last week waxed poetic about the hardware and its premium look-and-feel, most criticized the weak app selection in the Windows Store, the Microsoft-curated e-market that is the sole source of software for the "Modern" (formerly known as "Metro") user interface.

"In short, there just aren't enough apps," said of Wired on Oct. 23.