hard, adjustable case?

[dharma]

Please forgive me if this has been addressed somewhere; I'm new here & don't have time right now to search a million threads.

After many months of trying to convert me to Mac, my husband gave up & bought me a Surface as a replacement for my old laptop. If I could just get Words With Friends for it I could get rid of my ipad! However it seems to have a few limitations as a laptop that are driving me INSANE.

By the nature of the little stand on the back, the screen angle isn't adjustable for when I'm sitting at a desk vs. holding the thing on my lap on the couch or in bed. I can still see everything ok, it's just annoying that it's not "facing" me when it's down on my lap.

Also, the keyboard is nice to have, but it's pretty flimsy, so when it's on my lap, I have to put a lap desk or hard notebook or something underneath it to stabilize it enough to use the keyboard.

Does anyone make a hard case that it'll fasten into in order to give it more actual LAP TOP capability?

 

[TeknoBlast]

I would say just a laptop to get the laptop feel if you're having that much trouble. The purpose of the kickstand is to give you that laptop experience when placed on a flat surface like a table or desk. If the angle of the stand is not enough for you, then a laptop would be better for you. As for placing it on the lap, as some have used the stand on their laps, it's more for flat surfaces and previously said. Others have flip their KB covers all the way back while using the stand like a pyramid form and that has worked out well for them. However, then you lose the ability to use the KB.

One game shouldn't stop you from getting rid of a device you no longer want.

As for the KB being flimsy, how so because both the touch and type covers are pretty solid.

I'm sure there are cases out there, but hopefully someone here can answer that.

 

[prscarp]

If I could just get Words With Friends for it I could get rid of my ipad! However it seems to have a few limitations as a laptop that are driving me INSANE.

If you have the Pro, you can check out Bluestacks, It lets you run android apps on Windows. You should be able to play words with friends using it.

 

[dharma]

Ugh, that's what I was afraid of... he bought it for me as a surprise & I've been using it for a week or so, so now $1200 in I'm discovering that it's not really what I needed. Crap.

By "flimsy" I mean that when the keyboard is in my lap, it isn't solid enough to sit level, so I often don't hit the "a" and "l" hard enough for it to register & show up on the screen- makes for a lot of backspacing & retyping.

There are a lot of features I REALLY like, but if I had known when he gave it to me that it was just another tablet & didn't really have laptop capabilities I probably would have stuck with the ipad & laptop separately. I guess I was hoping to be able to go to a single device. I guess I will learn to adapt!

 

[dharma]

ooo, thanks for the Bluestacks link!

 

[bosamar]

I probably would have stuck with the ipad & laptop separately.

Wow! I can't imagine why a Surface Pro / laptop combo wouldn't be better.

 

[J515OP]

If I could just get Words With Friends for it I could get rid of my ipad!

You can play WWF through Facebook using Internet Explorer.

By the nature of the little stand on the back, the screen angle isn't adjustable for when I'm sitting at a desk

There are many ways to adjust the the screen angle aside from the kickstand (http://www.surfaceforums.net/forum/...sion/3054-shape-size-surface-2.html#post13688). If you use a usb keyboard or bluetooth keyboard then just about any tablet stand made will work and you can find the angle you want. One example of a keyboard/stand is the wedge keyboard (Microsoft Hardware gears up for Windows 8 tablets with Wedge keyboard and mouse | Chips | Geek.com).

vs. holding the thing on my lap on the couch or in bed. I can still see everything ok, it's just annoying that it's not "facing" me when it's down on my lap.

It is a tablet hold it and use it as a tablet with the on screen keyboard when having issues trying to use it in awkward positions.

Also, the keyboard is nice to have, but it's pretty flimsy, so when it's on my lap, I have to put a lap desk or hard notebook or something underneath it to stabilize it enough to use the keyboard.

Does anyone make a hard case that it'll fasten into in order to give it more actual LAP TOP capability?

There are many lapdesk options if you really need to work in your lap. http://www.surfaceforums.net/forum/microsoft-surface-accessories/2727-wedge-perfect-accessory.html or http://www.surfaceforums.net/forum/...al-discussion/2958-accessories.html#post12939

I'm sorry you don't have time to do basic searches and look because there is a ton of information in this forum and with the smallest effort you can probably find everything you want to know and more. If that is too much then going back to a laptop + iPad sounds like the simplest solution.

 

[dharma]

Wow! I can't imagine why a Surface Pro / laptop combo wouldn't be better.

Because I already own the ipad & didn't want to have to buy TWO new devices! :tongue:

Hubby bought me the surface because he knew I liked the ipad but needed more pc capabilities.

 

[dharma]

You can play WWF through Facebook using Internet Explorer.



There are many ways to adjust the the screen angle aside from the kickstand (http://www.surfaceforums.net/forum/...sion/3054-shape-size-surface-2.html#post13688). If you use a usb keyboard or bluetooth keyboard then just about any tablet stand made will work and you can find the angle you want. One example of a keyboard/stand is the wedge keyboard (Microsoft Hardware gears up for Windows 8 tablets with Wedge keyboard and mouse | Chips | Geek.com).



It is a tablet hold it and use it as a tablet with the on screen keyboard when having issues trying to use it in awkward positions.



There are many lapdesk options if you really need to work in your lap. http://www.surfaceforums.net/forum/microsoft-surface-accessories/2727-wedge-perfect-accessory.html or http://www.surfaceforums.net/forum/...al-discussion/2958-accessories.html#post12939

I'm sorry you don't have time to do basic searches and look because there is a ton of information in this forum and with the smallest effort you can probably find everything you want to know and more. If that is too much then going back to a laptop + iPad sounds like the simplest solution.

Every facebook app I've tried nets me a ton of spam, so I try not to go through fb to do anything whenever possible. Not to mention that I can't believe I have to pay $2.99 for facebook on the surface, but that's a different issue & I get why.

The keyboard he got me is the one that clicks onto the tablet & acts as a cover when not in use. The reason I HAVE a keyboard is that it's faster to type on than the on-screen keyboard, although the onscreen keyboard IS much better than the one on the ipad. And incidentally, when sitting on a plane or in an airport, typing with the kickstand out & on the onscreen keyboard is impossible because of the angle.

I have a lap desk, but I can't see myself dragging it everywhere when I travel. But I'll obviously be on the hunt for a new, compact one for this device.

I didn't say I DON'T have time, I said I HADN'T had time. And I resent your implication that I hadn't put in the "smallest effort" and "if that is too much..." As a moderator I'd think you'd be a little more sympathetic to the needs of average customers who aren't tech geeks. I'm TRYING really hard to be a Microsoft fan- everyone around me was pushing me to go with Apple, but I insisted that this would be better. It would be nice if I could be right and not need to take a course to learn to use it.

 

[Sin]

Do you have the RT or the Pro? Either way, there are two Surface keyboards that snap on and act as a cover when closed. The is the touch cover, which is thinner and lighter, but also more flexible and has pressure sensitive keys. Then there is the type cover, which is thicker and heavier, but is stiffer and has mechanical keys. The Type keyboard will feel more like a laptop to type on but does not address the angle issue. Not perfect solution there since the Surface is a tablet that can serve the place of a laptop. I hardly use my touch cover and use the split on-screen keyboard most often since when I use my Surface RT Is in bed or on the coach or out of the house/office where a laptop is less than ideal and a tablet better fits my needs. If you haven't tried the split on-screen keyboard, do so, you might be shocked at how nice the Surface is for general use when holding in two hands and typing with your thumbs. With the on-screen keyboard open, press the button on the bottom right corner and choose the second icon from the left from the popup menu. Obviously now as fast for data entry, but that's part of the trade.

 

[bosamar]

Do you have the RT or the Pro?

It's the Pro, she paid $1200...

 

[bosamar]

Every facebook app I've tried nets me a ton of spam, so I try not to go through fb to do anything whenever possible. Not to mention that I can't believe I have to pay $2.99 for facebook on the surface, but that's a different issue & I get why.

I didn't say I DON'T have time, I said I HADN'T had time. And I resent your implication that I hadn't put in the "smallest effort" and "if that is too much..." As a moderator I'd think you'd be a little more sympathetic to the needs of average customers who aren't tech geeks. I'm TRYING really hard to be a Microsoft fan- everyone around me was pushing me to go with Apple, but I insisted that this would be better. It would be nice if I could be right and not need to take a course to learn to use it.

IMO there is no 'excellent' Facebook app yet. I enjoy opening my browser and going to the regular website. I do that for several websites as there are few apps that can beat the experience. I'm positive you will learn to love your Pro. Have you read this guide: http://download.microsoft.com/downlo...rted_guide.pdf