I'd hold off on "better" until they ship; no word on exactly which i5, and no idea on battery life (bigger battery than the 11" MBA, but software + screen are unknowns).

And it's really a $1100 Surface Pro, because if you're using it like a laptop, you'll want a keyboard. Still competitive, but don't be fooled.

Minus the keyboard :). Add that and the price is in line with the MBA. Surface Pro is still the better deal in my opinion, because of the newer CPU and better screen.