Now Microsoft 'actively investigates' Surface slab jailbreak tool

What is still not clear to me, in spite of all the verbage, is why any technically literate or competent person would actually bother buying a Windows RT device. I can understand technically illiterate people succumbing to the advertising, but I don't see what earthly use the device is to someone who actually understands or values the ability to install and run any software they choose. Am I missing something here?

My best guess? Two things:

1) the attachable (detachable?) keyboard-in-a-cover. . . But at that price, it's ridiculous. Both parts are overpriced (for that much cash, the buyer's choice of one - or even both - of those two keyboard models should darn well be included).

2) And (going by the TV adverts) MS was hoping to market the "cool" factor to carry that price-point, the way Apple has managed to do (easier said than done). These were aimed at an Apple-y market niche (Apple type "cool" for the non arts-y, non black turtleneck, business and Sci/Eng crowd?).

Maybe they could have pulled it off -- with the right help and real commitment (but they don't seem to have had either).

... when it became clear that this little hack would -- in practice -- mean that even "ordinary users" would realistically be able to acquire their Windows RT apps elsewhere than through Microsoft's own Windows Store, then it became something to take seriously.

A snappy little reminder, that I switched from Windows to Linux for more reasons than just the purely technical short-comings...