Microsoft's Surface Tablet launched last week to mostly positive reviews, though it hasn't yet attracted the kind of fervor that attended the iPad -- and the company won't yet say how well it's selling.
But the Redmond giant can now bask in one potentially game-changing endorsement from Oprah Winfrey, who has declared the Surface one of her "Favorite Things" of 2012.
"It feels like a Mercedes-Benz to me, people!" gushes Oprah in the December issue of O, on newsstands Nov. 6. Her "Favorite Things 2012" list was released online Thursday.
"The full-size keyboard built right into the cover makes work easy, the very smart kickstand makes watching a movie or Skyping a friend a delight, the less than a pound-and-a-half weight makes a great alternative to a laptop," she adds.
"Now, that's a wowser!"
The Surface is arguably the only mainstream gadget on the "Favorite Things" list, though Oprah does also tout a $1,800 Jetson electric bike and a $5,000 Bose TV.
Apple fans can take heart, however -- the iPad made Oprah's "Ultimate Favorite Things" list in 2010, the last year it was also featured on her longrunning daytime show.
"Words cannot describe what I feel for this magnificent device," the talk show queen said at the time. "I really think it's the best invention of the century so far."
Compared to which, calling a tablet a Mercedes-Benz may qualify as damning it with faint praise.