Anyone here prefer the SP3 type cover over the SP4 cover?

[zhenya]

You make it sound like the type cover is some high end sophisticated device, give me a break. Its a bunch of plastic keys with cheap fabric on the outside and a glass trackpad. It costs no more than $6 to make it. Still doesnt justify the price. There is nothing special about the cover. Its thin, woohoo. Nothing new, big deal.

You are totally out of touch. Go try the keyboards available for the iPad or Android tablets. Most of them cost between $75-150, and the keys are nowhere near as good as the new type cover and they don't have a trackpad at all, never mind a better than average one that would cost at least $50 were it sold on its own.

I suppose the Surface itself isn't worth more than $100 either because it's just a sheet of metal and glass.

LOL.

 

[jnjroach]

You make it sound like the type cover is some high end sophisticated device, give me a break. Its a bunch of plastic keys with cheap fabric on the outside and a glass trackpad. It costs no more than $6 to make it. Still doesnt justify the price. There is nothing special about the cover. Its thin, woohoo. Nothing new, big deal.

There is actually tons of engineering involved in creating the Cover, the keys are designed specifically for the these covers as is the trackpad not mention the connector. Heck the fabric and dyes are specifically formulated for the covers....

 

[Compusmurf]

Just like a Mercedes doesn't have $60,000 worth of parts. If you value something on just the price of the parts, but failed to account for the engineering, retooling and labor, then you have missed the point. I guess it is all in your perspective as a consumer to hope for cheap.

 

[notaguru]

The SP4 Type Cover is superior to its predecessor. Though the difference in key spacing is slight, the "feel" is better and the tactile interaction between keys and fingers is terrific. The trackpad is terrific. And the whole assembly is somehow more stiff, more substantial.

 

[wookiee2cu]

I picked up the new keyboard on launch day while I was on vacation in Florida as the SP3 keyboard was driving me nuts with no separation between the keys and my delete key would randomly get stuck, deleting a lot more than I intended (got over this by using backspace key). I like the SP4 keyboard so much more, really glad Microsoft made it compatible with the SP3. It was odd though, I went into BestBuy on launch day around 3pm and they didn't even have the keyboard out for purchase and only one SP4 on dispaly. It was an Apple guy who told the Microsoft department that the new keyboards were still in the locked cages, took 30 minutes for them to finally hand me one.

 

[question729]

So once and for all, is the SP4 type cover able to close up on the SP3 when it's in the SP3 dock? I don't care that the keyboard doesn't fold up at an angle for typing while docked. I just want the cover to actually cover the screen when I'm not using it. My SP3 is primarily docked as my desktop PC.

 

[No_ax_to_grind]

The SP4 Type Cover is superior to its predecessor. Though the difference in key spacing is slight, the "feel" is better and the tactile interaction between keys and fingers is terrific. The trackpad is terrific. And the whole assembly is somehow more stiff, more substantial.

Yep, I totally love it after having been on two SP3 keyboards on two SP3s for the past year. Way more tactile and the trackpad is greatly improved.

 

[johnj2803]

So once and for all, is the SP4 type cover able to close up on the SP3 when it's in the SP3 dock? I don't care that the keyboard doesn't fold up at an angle for typing while docked. I just want the cover to actually cover the screen when I'm not using it. My SP3 is primarily docked as my desktop PC.

does this answer your question?

 

[George Neville]

The Cover overall is the same width as before but the keyboard is 27.5 cm wide on the new SP4 Cover and only 26 cm wide on the SP3 Cover.

Stated another way, the SP4 keyboard *is* the same *size* as a standard keyboard.

To me it's a huge deal that the keyboard is not a compressed, cut down in size, keyboard.

This just about covers it. The spacing makes a huge difference for me with my fat fingers.

One key function of the SP4 type cover hasn't been pointed out yet though. Probably because people believe that it is the same width. Technically that may be true when you consider material vs material width, but when you measure the solid portion of the board I saw a 2mm extension around the sides and bottom of the keypad.
Why does this matter? Put your SP3 keyboard on and run your fingers around the edges with the screen closed flat. Feel that? That lack of sturdy coverage where only the rubbery flap extends out fully? Now do the same with the SP4. Instead of the screen overlapping the solid portion of the board, the board's solid portion now extends past the screen. Those 2mm can make all the difference in a bump against a coffee table.

 

[glx]

I got my SP4-Type-Cover yesterday. In my opinion it feels much nicer to type on it because the keys have a bit more resistance and some space between them so you have some kind of feedback if your finger is clearly on a key or nearly on another..

 

[kiwigirl]

What would make these type covers the best is being able to use them as a BT keyboard. So you can use it on your home PC, etc. Cause there is no keyboard out to date that has the low profile keys of a type cover. I would kill to have these keys with 1.4mm travel on my work PC.

 

[hughlle]

Typing is really great on the new keyboard, but my opinion is that the touchpad completely sucks. It's just so grippy. The sP3 keyboards might be smaller, but it just feels indescribably better under the finger.