The full glory of Windows 8 on tablet is on course for a forceful entry as Microsoft indicated that the Surface Pro is all ready for global rollout, initially to be unleashed in North America on Feb 9 en route to its landing on other key markets.

For a Windows mobile device that requires $US899 for starters, will there be any takers considering that Apple and Android tablets currently flood the market offering attention-grabbing specs with more reasonable price tags?

Microsoft thinks so, pointing to the Surface Pro's core strength: a 10.6-inch HD display screen, an Intel Core i5 processor, 4GB of RAM, 64GB/128GB of internal storage and a microSDXC slot that accommodates up to 64GB of additional memory.

Add to the menu Microsoft's productivity suite, then consumers will get everything all at once - producing while having fun at the same time, the software giant said.

However, the same strength that Surface Pro is anchored with could also prove its Achilles' heel - maybe carving a niche market but not exactly attracting the general interests of broad-based consumers.

Citing its initial take during the recently concluded CES 2013 in Las Vegas, Mashable offered that the Surface Pro seems "a logical choice for a specific case: The tablet resides in a workstation most of the time but is easily detached for taking home or into meetings."

Two major concerns about the Microsoft tablet are its weight and battery life. The Surface Pro appears as the heaviest tablet so far, making it quite uncomfortable to handle the device for an extended time, Mashable suggested.

Plus the supposed shorter battery life, which is about half of the 8-hour rating attributed to the smaller Surface RT. If indeed the bigger version is mainly designed for professional use, the tablet's energy juice will pose a major problem for Microsoft, the same report said.

Yet one good thing going for this latest serving is it "will let you install anything you like," CNET said, adding that thankfully the Surface Pro rectified one of the major flaws cited on the RT version.

This time around, Microsoft can very well claim that the Surface Pro is a viable laptop replacement, which is not the case in the Surface RT, CNET said.

Tech experts are also hoping that Microsoft will accelerate the global release of the Surface Pro. Already fraught with delays, the tablet's rather slow shipment to markets worldwide will not exactly lead to better sales for the product that is already hampered by less than stellar reception, CNET further offered.