>>What makes this exciting is the possibility of having a real portable device that is also a work device. iDevices have been spectacular in all other regards. I am really looking forward to buy this for that reason: I want something sleek/portable (in that sense, comparable to an iPad) that I can actually use for work (in that sense, comparable to a laptop).
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>I agree. I think Microsoft has the chance to leap into the corporate market with both feet with this.
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>Microsoft also has the ability to leap into the corporate market with Window Phone 8 by making it more IT friendly..
>http://www.cnn.com/2012/06/20/tech/mobile/windows-phone-8-microsoft/index.html?hpt=hp_bn5

I'd say MS has the NEED - otherwise the ARM side of Win8 is doomed IMHO.
Making XNA/C# dev less than first class seat as developer, as is hinted for WP8 (C and C++ rules again)
will drive a stake through future earnings - silverlight getting shafted instead of enforcing Xamarin was bad,
if Dotnet/C# is kept from WP8 developers it will get better memory usage (a plus at first) but put back development.

Perhaps MS should have earmarked more CPU cycles for better code quality of compiled/linked app
instead of squandering it away on code generation, which is a bad way to go IMHO IAC.
Giving the nuts of current WP7,5 owners the technologically "needed" squeeze
of a stay at WP7.x will even shoo away willing Nokia fan-seniors ;-)
Even if MS woke up and realized taht mult-core ARM has been planned for since 2006
and mSDHC is a plus there are many ways for them to botch mobile, even if WP has many good sides now.

The diehard WP7 laudators here have been awfully quit as Nokia sales were not really spectacular.