Actually, the Nexus tablets have usable USB ports. The MS Surface have them as well.
I agree with Mike on most everything except maybe " the cost of fully outfitted tablet equals a solid ultrabook for Total Cost of Ownership". I'd be curious to see the math there. Probably because my personal idea of a "solid ultrabook" starts at over 2.5 grand.
In any case, I think it's not an Apples to Apples comparison in any case. Tablets were not created to compete with any type of powerful laptop. The Surface Pro mmmmaybe, but to me it's still inarguably a hybrid with it's own pros and cons.
There is a place for all device types depending on your needs. My personal breakdown would be this.
Social media, web browsing, media consumption, free apps & games....
= Tablets.
Social Media, Web browsing, media consumption, free apps and games but also the occasional light office work on the road.
= a hybrid (Asus Transformer models up to the Surface Pro 3 depending on your needs and budget)
Primary workhorse or you travel regularly for work purposes
= laptop or ultrabook
Other considerations.
I have nozero tolerance for laggy netbooks and I think thier day is done anyways, so I didn't include them.
It doesn't take much horsepower at all these days for typical office work. So even a reasonably priced laptop can jump in there in just about any category (except for the free apps.)
Gaming... Tons of free games are developed every day for Android and iPads and that can be a big draw to tablets for some. If you want to 3-d game in the MS world, prepare to triple or quadruple your laptop budget.
