Three hours of prime television real estate reaching a global audience of up to a billion people, with guaranteed international press coverage and an Oscar-wining director in charge to boot is worth a lot.

BBC: Was the opening ceremony worth ?27m?

Support for customized experiences and branding from boot to shut down, so apps can take advantage of Windows with a customized look and feel from the first press of the power button.

ENGADGET: Windows Embedded Standard 8 preview now available for download

The backside has a rubbery, soft-touch finish that's easy to press your fingers up against. (It also hides fingerprints and looks good, to boot, so that's a plus.) Additionally, there's some slight beveling on the front side of the device around the display -- just enough that there's a little groove where you can rest your thumbs.

ENGADGET: Vizio Tablet PC hands-on (update: now with video) Hands-on