deskthority

A thread regarding these accessories aka. keyboards for the soon to be released, Surface.

Any thoughts regarding these two keyboards?

Touch Cover



Specifications:

• 3.25mm thin
• Weighs less than 0.46lbs (208.7g)
• Pressure-sensing input technology
• Media and Windows shortcut keys
• Capacitive-sensing trackpad

Type Cover



Specifications:

• Mechanical keys
• 6mm thin
• Weighs less than 0.55lbs (249.5g)
• Full row of Function keys (F1-F12), Windows shortcut keys, and media controls
• Capacitive sensing trackpad

Ridiculously expensive.

Despite that, I'd still like to try the touch cover.

Don't you think it would just feel like a terrible netbook? The layout looks exactly the same as the one that's on my girlfriends terrible Dell netbook.

The Touch Cover is an acoustic sensing board, detecting the sound of the taps on the keys and figuring out what key was pressed, IIRC.

I don't think the touch cover is acoustic. It is membrane based, based on the available photos. There were a MS lab video years back about their membrane technology on how it is pressure sensitive, but didn't find an application for it. The surface demo also showed it to be pressure sensitive IIRC. I guess they did find an application for it.

Not sure I am remembering this correctly, but I think the type cover was said to be 2mm travel keys. They appear to be capacitive foam type to me.

Here's some valuable links for more information:

• Microsoft Store - Touch Cover
• Microsoft Store - Type Cover
• Surface - Touch Cover
• Surface - Type Cover

I laughed when I saw the price.

Yeah, in the end these are keyboards that cost less than $10 to produce.

I will probably pick up a Surface Pro when it drops. The ridiculous pricing on the covers is not making me hopeful on the price of the tablet though. It is pushing me toward just saying screw it on the pen input and get an Acer W700. I guess I'll be playing the wait and see game and see if anything else interesting comes out.