Maybe they'll deliver something that the other two haven't been able to yet, like the ability to join and participate in a Windows security domain and become an active, manageable part of the enterprise.
But, is this in keeping with the Tablet’s purpose?
Small, lightweight, extreme portability, batterylife and leisure.
A tablet uses a virtual keyboard, which consumes vital desktop space. Sure, I can do Word, Excel, PP and Notes on my iPad - but I wouldn’t want to author anything major. When the keyboard is up - I have about 3 inches of screen left for my work.
In order to alleviate this problem, I could use a bluetooth external keyboard/mouse - but then, why not use a Laptop? To match the Laptop in Productivity, I have to carry 3 components - and then only have a 10 inch screen to work on.
Where the Tablet could come in handy, in the workplace could be inventory control, MD’s reviewing patient records/x-rays as they move from room to room, pulling specifications during manufacturing inspections - stuff along that line. Light duty data entry.
Generally speaking, Laptops are for productivity - Tablets are for leisure. Like comparing Lawn Tractors to motorcycles.
If I were MSFT, I would first decide if the piece of the pie is worth the investment. Android and iOS have a huge jump in this market. IMHO, what MSFT can do, is use the OnLive Cloud based gaming technology - as a lever into the market. XBox360 and XBox Live have a huge following - to merge this audience into a MSFT portable unit would certainly have legs.
Unfortuantely, MSFT has opted not to pursue this aggressively. IMHO, MSFT has the technical prowess to do this - but lacks the managerial capability to attempt anything 5% of this ambitious. I call them Biztards, Business Managers of a technical company - who do not possess technical degrees or have a technical background.