Tempting backlit bluetooth keyboard...

[mitchellvii]

Well I returned my Touch Keyboard to the MS Store. You know, compared to the quality and functionality I can get from this $70 Logitech Keyboard, $120 for that MS keyboard really is ridiculous. Therein lies MS problem. Part of marketing is pricing and they got the pricing of the SP and Keyboard all wrong. Wouldn't it have been better to throw the keyboard into SP sale and sell twice as many units?

 

[J515OP]

Is the Logitech less than 4mm thick? Weigh less than 0.5lbs? Have a trackpad? Protect your Surface? Never need batteries? Different keyboards for different uses and differing costs accordingly.

You actually don't have to buy a keyboard with the Surface at all. Most people have one just lying around they can use if they want. Maybe not a Logitech k810 but that is again a choice. If I wanted to skip the MS options I could easily have just used the bluetooth Motorola I have sitting around Motorola 89451N Wireless Bluetooth Keyboard for Android Devices.

Bottom line is MS isn't forcing use of their keyboard options and you can pretty much use anything you want. No lost sales of Surfaces but many gained sales of keyboards that people are in fact willing to pay a premium for. If you prefer a $70 Logitech then go for it!

 

[tonyz3]

Wouldn't it have been better to throw the keyboard into SP sale and sell twice as many units?

They did if you bought one of the bundles they had in store. Or if you calc it a diff way the bundle got you the 2 yr warranty for free. I can keep going. :wink: Your motto "if its free it is for me....."

 

[Nuspieds]

I type a lot and I like to type, so based on what I originally read about the Surface Pro, I knew I should get the Type Cover with it and, of course, so I did.

My Surface Pro was used to replace my laptop, so I also needed a real keyboard when I'm using it at my desks. Using the Logitech USB receiver-based keyboard I used with my laptop was not an option, so I hunted for Bluetooth instead. Surprisingly, there weren't many full-sized keyboards and I did stumble on the Logitech, but the problem for me was the missing numeric keypad. I love the backlight feature and, of course, the Caps Lock indicator--important features both missing on the Type Cover. For the latter, I ended downloading a utility that shows the status in my system tray.

The first full-sized Bluetooth keyboard I went with was the SMK-Link VP6220. It was great the for the longest while until my Surface Pro was not going into sleep or activating the screen saver. After much debugging, it turned out to be due to the SMK-Link. If I turned it off, the screen saver and power settings would activate, as normal.

So search I did again and this time I decided to try out the Macally keyboard for Apple. There was a review on Amazon that said it worked on Windows so I tried one and, sure enough, it worked! Moreover, my screensaver and power options always kick in.

The Macally, too, requires you to press Fn to activate the function keys. Although I need my numeric keypad more than I do the Function keys, at first I thought it was going to be a bit of a rough transition for me. However, it turns out that I do not use those Function keys as much as I thought. Very little, as a matter of fact.

The Type Cover is sufficient for my travels, but I sure do like the features of the Logitech and it certainly would be sweet to have a cover with some of its features.

 

[mitchellvii]

Is the Logitech less than 4mm thick? Weigh less than 0.5lbs? Have a trackpad? Protect your Surface? Never need batteries? Different keyboards for different uses and differing costs accordingly.

You actually don't have to buy a keyboard with the Surface at all. Most people have one just lying around they can use if they want. Maybe not a Logitech k810 but that is again a choice. If I wanted to skip the MS options I could easily have just used the bluetooth Motorola I have sitting around Motorola 89451N Wireless Bluetooth Keyboard for Android Devices.

Bottom line is MS isn't forcing use of their keyboard options and you can pretty much use anything you want. No lost sales of Surfaces but many gained sales of keyboards that people are in fact willing to pay a premium for. If you prefer a $70 Logitech then go for it!

Lol, what is it about you that you assume everything MS does is brilliant? Read around. The marketing of the Surface line has been widely panned as a complete failure by people who should know. Find me an reputable article where the author says, "Wow, MS's rollout of the SP has been amazing and met all expectations!". Since it hasn't been as successful (even close) as they had hoped, we must ask ourselves what went wrong? It's not like they didn't run enough silly ads of people dancing with their Surfaces. So lots of advertising, a solid product, what's left? Pricing. They got the pricing wrong.

I'm amazed that you simply refuse to see this. Do you work for Microsoft? That would explain a lot.

You can say that well, $1150 for the 128 GB Surface Pro is a competitive price compared to other ultrabooks out there. But the SP isn't an ultrabook, the screen is too small for most business people to use as their laptop replacement. In addition, ultrabooks have been slashing their prices. I can buy a Samsung ATIV 700 from MS Store right now for $150 less than an SP with keyboard and I get a bigger screen, a hinged keyboard that I can use on my lap, 3 usb ports and MUCH longer battery life. The Dell XPS 12 has been discounted to $1000 as well. Still, you don't see MS making any moves to cut their pricing at all.

MS's biggest problem (which you reflect in your comments) is that despite the poor sales of Surface and Windows 8, they simply cannot conceive of the idea that any move they have made is wrong. They are right, the consumer is wrong. The consumer is unsophisticated. The consumer doesn't get it. Stay the course and eventually the dumb consumer will see the light.

Well, since the consumer has the money MS wants, I think maybe MS better start listening to them or the Surface line will just become another Windows phone. MS stayed the course on Windows phone as well. How's that going?

 

[Nuspieds]

Is the Logitech less than 4mm thick? Weigh less than 0.5lbs? Have a trackpad? Protect your Surface? Never need batteries?

That's precisely why I like it and haven't considered replacing it (the annoying Trackpad notwithstanding ).

Were I to replace the Type Cover, it would have to be with another product that meets the above for my travel needs. Until then, Type Cover it is.

 

[J515OP]

Lol, what is it about you that you assume everything MS does is brilliant? Read around. The marketing of the Surface line has been widely panned as a complete failure by people who should know. Find me an reputable article where the author says, "Wow, MS's rollout of the SP has been amazing and met all expectations!"

I'm amazed that you simply refuse to see this. Do you work for Microsoft? That would explain a lot.

I am sorry you just don't get it and never will. That is ok the world doesn't revolve around you, and others do get it. I don't see where I said anything about MS being brilliant. I don't work for MS and I don't really advocate their products the way you claim I do. All I said was if you feel the touch/type covers are overpriced then don't get one that is hardly what somebody trying to sell touch/type covers would say. Nobody is forcing you too get one at any price. For others they are a good option even at their current prices:

That's precisely why I like it and haven't considered replacing it (the annoying Trackpad notwithstanding ).

Were I to replace the Type Cover, it would have to be with another product that meets the above for my travel needs. Until then, Type Cover it is.

You can say that well, $1150 for the 128 GB Surface Pro is a competitive price compared to other ultrabooks out there. But the SP isn't an ultrabook, the screen is too small for most business people to use as their laptop replacement. In addition, ultrabooks have been slashing their prices. I can buy a Samsung ATIV 700 from MS Store right now for $150 less than an SP with keyboard and I get a bigger screen, a hinged keyboard that I can use on my lap, 3 usb ports and MUCH longer battery life. The Dell XPS 12 has been discounted to $1000 as well. Still, you don't see MS making any moves to cut their pricing at all.

They can charge whatever price they want. Different options at different prices. I can get a Bentley for $200k or a Jaguar for $50k. both are luxury cars. Does that mean Bentley should lower their prices to match Jaguar?

MS's biggest problem (which you reflect in your comments) is that despite the poor sales of Surface and Windows 8, they simply cannot conceive of the idea that any move they have made is wrong. They are right, the consumer is wrong. The consumer is unsophisticated. The consumer doesn't get it. Stay the course and eventually the dumb consumer will see the light.

Interesting to know you have the ability to read MS's thoughts. Have you considered selling the use of your powers to Apple and Google? Clearly MS isn't staying the traditional course, which is ironically one of your other complaints about them.

Well, since the consumer has the money MS wants, I think maybe MS better start listening to them or the Surface line will just become another Windows phone. MS stayed the course on Windows phone as well. How's that going?

Windows phones have evolved from Windows CE/Mobile to Windows Phone which has evolved from WP7 to WP8. There are significant changes to the core OS at each stage with WP8 culminating in a share-able platform with Win 8/RT. This is huge for the future of WP. I guess you are only interested in your own perceptions of the situation though and choose to not recognize fundamental changes MS has been making and the various versions of mobile OS they have evolved through. If you mean by staying the course that MS is continuing to stay the course of making phones, well I don't see how the alternative of not making phones gets them any more of the consumer's money that they want.

 

[tonyz3]

i almost posted that i was popping popcorn getting ready for the show right before post #17. oh well i guess i missed the preshow......Sits down in chair with bucket in hand..

 

[J515OP]

View attachment 715i almost posted that i was popping popcorn getting ready for the show right before post #17. oh well i guess i missed the preshow......Sits down in chair with bucket in hand..

I think you need one of these