Microsoft Smart Display opens door to world of sofa surfing "The AirPanel is impressive for first-generation technology. The screen is sharp and responsive to taps by either a stylus or fingers. It sets up easily and elegantly handled errors such as dropped connections. But I would not spend nearly $1,000 when a light, wireless-capable laptop with a larger screen costs only a few hundred dollars more."
I think most reviewers are missing the strategic direction/point here -- it's not about directly competing with a laptop; it's about handling a subset of PC usage contexts and also consolidating all remotes etc. into a single control unit, with a form factor that's more appropriate for carrying around the house. Yes there are some serious release 1.0 issues to fix, such as monotasking the host Windows XP PC when the Smart Display is active, and the prices need to come way down, but I think the concept is right and expect Smart Display will be very successful over time. Especially as roaming wireless, iSCSI, etc. go mainstream, when you'll no longer be housebound with this device type...