Oprah Winfrey may no longer give away her Favorite Things on her talk show, her annual holiday shopping endorsements remain influential among women. And with Oprah including Microsoft’s newest tablet on her list, expect many shoppers flocking for the iPad rival.

The Microsoft Surface RT, which runs on a watered-down version of Windows 8, is one of Oprah’s Favorite Things for 2012, along with Beats by Dre earbuds and a Josh Groban album.

In her review, Oprah writes: “The Surface, Microsoft’s first tablet, feels like a Mercedes-Benz to me, people! 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 and a pound-and-a-half weight makes a great alternative to a laptop, and the many other features make it fun for work and play. Now, that’s a wowser!”
While several eyebrows were raised with this endorsement, some even accusing Microsoft of bribing Oprah, we should note that the Queen of Talk recommended the original iPad in 2010.