I got my RT with the Type Cover, and got a good deal on a secondhand Touch Cover a week later.
I drastically prefer the Touch Cover (which I'm using right now) over the Type Cover. The Type Cover is bulky and IMO more fragile; while it is ideal for long periods of work (for me, in-class work), I find that I type quicker, more fluidly, and with less mistakes on the Touch Cover. Something about the way the Type Cover is designed makes me miss common strokes. I think this has to do with how my mind treats the cover - I feel real keys, I feel that it is a regular keyboard, much like the one on my desktop or laptop. Also, if you use the Type Cover as a screen cover when moving your Surface, you will find that the keys leave air/dust/impression marks on the screen - while these do not damage the screen, I absolutely hate seeing them, as they cause glare and impair screen visibility. The Type Cover has a big possibility to scratch your device's screen; it is bulkier, and more fragile, IMO.
The Touch Cover is thinner, has no hard parts or pieces to scratch the screen, leaves virtually no marks on the screen (a couple, but nowhere near the severity of the Type Cover), is more durable and protective of the Surface, and is easier to use on a daily basis. However, I will say that I make it a point to use my Touch Cover on flat surfaces, because I hate the "bounce" associated with not doing so. I feel as if the Type Cover would have the upper hand on this because of it's larger construction and use of physical depression keys.
I haven't really considered any other keyboards, simply because I love the Surface and the cover's "snap" ability - really neat feature. As for mice, I just use the Logitech I use for my laptop, but I don't use it often. I like to use touch when I'm using the keyboard, mainly because I use a stylus...which makes a segway into Sky's question...
Sky, I picked up a Targus stylus from my local Staples store here. I got a full sized one and a miniature one, although I prefer using the fullsize one. They both work great on my Surface RT (with a screen protector), and they even work great with my Samsung GSIII smartphone. I am a precise person who likes to make precise interactions, both in handwriting and touch/type; although the tips of these styluses are the typical bulky rubber type, I have found myself only missing my mark on a few occasions. They are good, precise styluses that, once you learn how to use, can hit a very small pinpoint on your screen in a congested area. For example, going to the latest post on a thread from the forum's mainpage requires tapping the [very] small icon next to the "latest post" information. On something that size, I usually miss it about 1-2 times out of 10. These styluses also have metal construction with a pocket holder...I found out that the stylus can attach itself to my Surface where the keyboards snap in, and can be carried around effortlessly - very convenient.
I have found myself rarely using my hands for touch interaction on the Surface, and mainly using the stylus. Intertwining use of both will give you a very in-tune experience with your tablet. The styluses were $14 for the big one, and ~$7 for the mini-stylus. Hope this helps.
