a more decent keyboard is ncessary?

[DogmaHunter]

Panos and team are uninterested in making a keyboard dock for the Surface, it doesn't support the design aesthetic of brand. They've even prototyped it and agreed it just doesn't work for the device. Other OEMs and Intel are pushing this paradigm and the Surface Team is willing to let them have it....So as long as Panos and Ralf are running the design you won't see a keyboard dock, and personally I applaud their decision.

It certainly deserves respect to decide not to move forward with a product prototype they aren't 100% pleased with. Indeed, I'ld rather have them not release something instead of releasing something they aren't really pleased with.

Personally, I don't really care if they have such a keyboard dock or not, as I wouldn't use it anyway. I just feel like, if they are truelly so serious about creating a hybrid device that can replace a laptop without compromises... they don't really have a choice. Then they must create some type of keyboard dock. Which doesn't mean that they should discontinue the touch and / or type cover. I really like the type cover. It's very portable, light and does the job just fine for lightweight editing.

For serious work, I dock the surface anyway and use a full sized USB keyboard. But for people who wish to do their serious work in laptop mode, the type and touch cover simply are not upto par with actual laptop configurations. Fact is that without such a "lockable" keyboard "cover", the surface will not be able to really replace the laptop without compromise.

 

[unruledboy]

@drolem

Maybe even a PS/2 kb with the right adapter.

LOL.... but it is true that PS/2 interface is better in performance and energy consumption because PS/2 sends signal to CPU but CPU has to poll USB activity.......

 

[sleith001]

My daily job is coding. the type cover is totally fine with me. I never feel a need for a traditional keyboard. Frankly they look bulky, most of them ugly. I would never use that kind of keyboard with a Surface. The don't belong.

 

[CrippsCorner]

I've been using Type Cover since day one and it's surprised me just how good it is. However, I still wouldn't mind the option of a hard keyboard and even a magnetic attachment to keep it shut. I don't think more options are ever a bad thing... but at the same time I suppose I do understand where they are coming from. I like that the coloured versions are available but imo they don't look as sharp as say the keyboard of a MacBook.

 

[jnjroach]

It certainly deserves respect to decide not to move forward with a product prototype they aren't 100% pleased with. Indeed, I'ld rather have them not release something instead of releasing something they aren't really pleased with.

Personally, I don't really care if they have such a keyboard dock or not, as I wouldn't use it anyway. I just feel like, if they are truelly so serious about creating a hybrid device that can replace a laptop without compromises... they don't really have a choice. Then they must create some type of keyboard dock. Which doesn't mean that they should discontinue the touch and / or type cover. I really like the type cover. It's very portable, light and does the job just fine for lightweight editing.

For serious work, I dock the surface anyway and use a full sized USB keyboard. But for people who wish to do their serious work in laptop mode, the type and touch cover simply are not upto par with actual laptop configurations. Fact is that without such a "lockable" keyboard "cover", the surface will not be able to really replace the laptop without compromise.

The Pro 3 has the second set of magnets to lock it for laptop mode. The Surface Team isn't trying to please the mass of consumers who want a traditional laptop that can become a tablet slab, they have Intel and the OEMs for that and that market is covered. The Surface is Halo Device designed to bring Microsoft's vision of Mobile Computing connecting to their Cloud Backend. If the Surface doesn't meet the consumer's needs or design preference they are OK with that, get a device that fulfills their needs.

 

[beq]

I am using thinkpad right now, I like the thinkpad keyboard.

It's fine for light duty work, but you can use any USB or BT keyboard your heart desire.

FWIW I got my family the ThinkPad Compact Bluetooth Keyboard with TrackPoint for their SP2's, thanks to kkwst2. (They also use full-size Logitech keyboards/mice on the desktop, and carry portable Microsoft mice.)

Still love thinkpad kb's, even if they've moved to chiclet keys and made other controversial design changes over the years...


As for "lappability" when I'm lounging around at various angles, I like to plop both the SP2 and TP keyboard on a grippy neoprene lapdesk like this thin aluminum slab from Grifiti

 

[N.G.]

Thanks BEQ,

Ordered the Grifti for my SP1. Neoprene covered AL slate looks like the right idea for "lapping" the SP type covers. If it works, it will remove my only issue with getting the SP3. $16 is cheap for a solution. I see there are bigger ones.

 

[Nuspieds]

I really do not understand the fuss I read regarding the keyboard.

There's a virtual keyboard available for use. If you don't like it as your full/part-time keyboard, then get a physical keyboard.

There's a physical Touch/Type Cover keyboard available for use. If you don't like it as your full/part-time keyboard, then get a Bluetooth keyboard.

Many companies sell Bluetooth keyboards. If you don't like any of them as your full/part-keyboard, then get a physically-connected (e.g., USB) keyboard.

There are so many options and that's exactly what perplexes me when I read the complaints and negative comments regarding the Surface keyboard.

 

[drolem]

I really do not understand the fuss I read regarding the keyboard.
[...]
There are so many options and that's exactly what perplexes me when I read the complaints and negative comments regarding the Surface keyboard.

Me neither....

Because it's a tablet and the keyboard also doubles up as a screen protector, that sets the size of the keyboard in two dimensions. And because most people also want it light and thin, that puts another restriction on the size. Given these constraints, I think the design of these keyboards is pretty close to as good as they can be, even though I think trackpads could use some improvement. But given the zero or very short travel keys, the kb portion can never be as good as a full size keyboard, like the one I'm using right now. And that's fine with me -- it's a very reasonable compromise.

 

[N.G.]

Drolem,

I think that if you type at desks and conference tables, there is no problem.

The SP3 has been changed to make it more "lapable" but my experience at the store did not seem so. They sat me down on a stool to try it. Sitting on the (backless) stool, with the keyboard magneted up on the screen, and the screen almost vertical, the easel was almost slipping off my knees and the keyboard bounced significantly with each letter typed. If I reclined the tablet, it started slipping off my knees heading to the floor.

Now I have rethought what that meant. The store is set for people to type on counters. I wouldn't type on a stool. I just measured my lap sitting vertically on a stool and leaning back in a couch, and had 3 more inches of lap on the couch (10.5 inches to 13.5 inches). Maybe the SP3 is fine in a lap on a chair, couch or recliner, but not the way they had me try it at the MS Store sitting on a stool (specifically to demonstrate "lapability").

At any rate, I ordered that Grifiti neoprene covered Aluminum Lap Desk discussed a couple of posts earlier, once I verify it makes everything secure and useable with my SP1 I'm getting my SP3.

 

[Odyssey]

For me, the Type Cover has always been good for mobility but fairly adequate for typing. Because the keys are so close together, it's very easy to hit a key next to the intended key by accident. Key travel is comparable to other ultrabooks (even the MacBook Air imo).

For the next keyboard covers, I hope they space out the keys a bit more to avoid mistyping. Because the SP3 needs a larger Type Cover, I was really hoping they could have improved upon this with the Type Cover 3.

 

[Unix82]

I hope that there will be a power cover for sp3 , which should have better typing experience and gives you more battery life.