With some minor exceptions, tablets are consumptive in nature, not productive. To get any real work done, you need a keyboard. Period. Full stop. Once you equip a tablet with a keyboard, then you've started down the slippery slope towards and clunky, underpowered notebook, only with a very inefficient (for most real, getting work done, apps) mode of input. Sure, tablets are flashy, but they are media consumption gadgets - an Internet media spigot. And in a business setting, much of what you'll need to do will require Citrix or some other means of running Windows-based apps on the tablet, which is especially cumbersome and frustrating. Ultimately, tablets are really awesome to have mostly because the companies who profit from the sales say so. They are radically over-hyped and often end up as expensive paperweights.

For the average Windows XP/7 user, the flashy Metro interface will likely be turned off by the IT wonks. And touchscreen interfaces - even multitouch - are largely for media consumption and artistic endeavors. (Few, if any, people are actually doing real business-grade work on an iPad.) Office workers don't need touchy-feely - they need a solid keyboard and mouse to use with their legacy apps written by companies who only just got around to updating their apps for XP and IE 8 (maybe) a couple of years ago. At this point, Windows is entrenched. It doesn't have to be especially innovative, it just needs to keep working with newer hardware.

Let me just add that this is another area where the socializing affects of the Internet and digital age are a myth. Oh sure, you might have hundreds of Twitter followers and be an voracious texter, but that's not really, thoroughly communicating. 140 characters is to communicating what the appetizer course at a fancy restaurant is to the main course - it's not really food. Oh it's pretty - and pricey - but it's not substantive. Just as you said, I've found that blogging has given me an excellent opportunity to hone and showcase my writing skills. And it's not just about being able to craft grammatically-correct sentences or even complex paragraphs. No, it's about developing a style of writing that gets your point across, sure, but perhaps more importantly, it maybe even gives the reader some sense about who you are. Sadly, as others have said, blogging can often feel futile. And this is where being a good "netizen" comes in - you have a responsibility to nurture your fellow man's efforts by commenting on blogs. Sure, blogging should be it's own reward, creative outlet and all, but even the most stalwart writer still needs occasional validation, some kind of feedback - be it good or bad - that let's him know that his words are being read and might have some meaning to someone else.