Surface Touch Cover and Type Cover

cable · 19 Oct 2012, 21:48

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

webwit · 19 Oct 2012, 21:58

Ridiculously expensive.

002 · 19 Oct 2012, 23:47

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

Jim66 · 20 Oct 2012, 11:16

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.

bhtooefr · 20 Oct 2012, 13:43

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.

laffindude · 21 Oct 2012, 07:57

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.

cable · 22 Oct 2012, 04:52

Here's some valuable links for more information:

laffindude · 22 Oct 2012, 07:09

I laughed when I saw the price.

webwit · 22 Oct 2012, 10:00

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

laffindude · 22 Oct 2012, 12:23

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.