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An Early Look At Android M's Multi-Window Mode For Tablets
Ars Technica has a look at the experimental multi-window mode in the just-announced Android M. It's not a headlining feature yet: "buggy, busted, and buried, but intriguing nonetheless" is how Ars describes it. Android Police is similarly faint in its praise. All that might be true, but to many users even a partly working multi-window mode would be welcome, especially one blessed by Google. (Some Samsung users have had multi-window support for a while, but not built into the OS proper, and multi-window capabilities can be found via app, too.)
As for productivity... it's a tablet OS, it's consumptive, not productive.
The artificial distinction drawn between "consumptive" and "productive" user interfaces on a device that can theoretically support both is the problem. It acts as a barrier to participatory culture, as a lot of people don't have $400 to splurge on a "productive" device when they get the itch to do something "productive".
It's (normally) missing a keyboard
For someone who already bought a tablet computer or received one as a gift, a $50 Bluetooth keyboard is still less expensive than a $400 "productive computer".
(always missing) a mouse so you can actually copy and paste with some accuracy and speed
True, the text selection mechanism on Android through level L leaves something to be desired. But that's an argument for improving the text selection mechanism, not for continuing "consumptive" policies.