Because it came from Microsoft. The same entry by someone else would be wildly celebrated.
The first time I got my hands on it, I remember that I said, "wow, the new MacPad Air is impossible." It packs Core i7 in a package that weigh WAY less than the previous generation MacBook Air. How would anybody pack Core i7 inside a tablet that's as thin as the iPad 4 while still providing the all-day battery life it deserves. It is the reason why people are still buying Apple products, theyre simply impossible by others' standard.
The optional keyboard is a smart accessory that turns an innocent iPad into a proper MacBook. Yes, that's right, you don't need a MacBook anymore. With just $130 for the keyboard, you already own a MacBook disguised in a tablet. More importantly, it still makes a better laptop than a craptastic $300 Windows laptop that you would buy otherwise.
The MacPad weighs 800gr, definitely heavier than the iPad Air 6, but practically, it is just as light. The reason behind it is because it packs a builtin kickstand. Lets be honest, your iPad is now enclosed inside a case because you need the iPad to stand somehow, but this MacPad kills it. You can now use a proper iPad without any additional cases. Since the kickstand opens to a variety of angles, it is just as versatile as the MacBook. In fact, it opens to larger angle than the MacBook, making it even more versatile in this particular case.
There's another reason why it weighs more than the normal iPad. Just like the iPad Air 6 that is heavier than the smaller iPad Mini 7, the MacPad Air is heavier for the same reason. The screen, at 12" is the perfect balance between 9.7" in the iPad Air 6 and the 13.3" MacBook Air. But thats not the thing that pushes the industry. The main star here is actually the aspect ratio. At 3:2, it is the perfect balance between the two. Even though it is smaller diagonally, it is actually taller than the MacBook, so it feels larger than my MacBook Air in landscape mode, yet it is as comfortable as my iPad Air 6 in portrait mode. Just after the Android OEMs have finished copying Apple's 4:3 aspect ratio, they pushed the industry with a new standard to be copied again.
But the MacPad Air is so much more than just a MacBook Air and iPad fused together. It is more powerful than both devices combined. The MacPad Air has the pen input functionality which was popularized by third-party accessories like the Adonit Jot Touch and Wacom Fineline. The implementation is now officially supported and perfected. It opens up a new possibilities that the iPad and MacBook haven't delivered. The pen features a smart button at the top that when you press it, opens the Notes app, ready for you to jot down notes. It streamlines the way that we are used to. Normally, you need to go back to the homescreen, launch the Notes app, and press a New Note button. Now, you only need one click to jot down your idea before you forget about it, whenever you are. Yes, even if the MacPad is in standby, pressing the top button would serve you with a blank Notes canvas to write on. It is just as intuitive as the real pen and paper. Apple showed the world how to make a device familiar for everyone, just like what they did with their original iPhone 11 years ago. The Notes app itself has received a massive update this year. It can now be organized like a real book with sections and pages, as well as the pen input that I just mentioned. It is now a proper book replacement. This is the tight integration between hardware and software that only Apple can deliver.
To put it short, if you can afford it, MacPad Air is simply the device that you have to buy right now.
Apple just set a new standard that Google and Microsoft would have to play catchup, again.
