The removable
cover comes across as a takeoff of Apple Inc.'s Smart Cover. Both snap
into place perfectly with magnets. But instead of sporting foldable
sections, Microsoft's cover is rigidly flat and has a full keyboard
imprinted on it. Microsoft's cover seems central to the Surface
experience, although it's not clear if it'll be sold separately. Apple
sells Smart Cover separately starting at $39.
The cover is thin - about a tenth of an inch, or 3 millimeters. When covering the screen, its spine covers one edge and its outer fabric makes the whole package feel like a soft book. Where it attaches to the tablet, it's completely floppy, so it can be whipped around to close over the screen or folded back like a magazine.
The keyboard is imprinted on the inside of
the cover, facing the screen. So when you open it, you can lay the cover
on a table and use it to type. The letters are separated by little
ridges, allowing you to feel around somewhat as you type. I have found
that typing doesn't feel right on the iPad's glass.
The keyboard is covered with synthetic material that feels like a tennis racket handle or a high school running track, but not as grippy.
The keys themselves don't depress as you type. Rather, there are seven layers of metal and other material inside that sense pressure and speed. When the cover is folded open entirely, covering the back, the keys stop being sensitive to touch.
Demonstrators from Microsoft told us they could type upwards of 50 words per minute, but I didn't have access to the device long enough to test my ability to input "The quick brown fox jumped over the lazy dog."
There was another keyboard accessory with depressible keys that was 5.5 millimeters thick, or nearly twice the regular cover. It felt more comfortable for typing but didn't seem revolutionary. You can also type on the screen, the way you can on an iPad.
Microsoft's upcoming Windows 8 operating system and its Windows RT counterpart for low-power chips are supposed to bridge the gap between touch devices and personal computers.
The cover is thin - about a tenth of an inch, or 3 millimeters. When covering the screen, its spine covers one edge and its outer fabric makes the whole package feel like a soft book. Where it attaches to the tablet, it's completely floppy, so it can be whipped around to close over the screen or folded back like a magazine.
The keyboard is covered with synthetic material that feels like a tennis racket handle or a high school running track, but not as grippy.
The keys themselves don't depress as you type. Rather, there are seven layers of metal and other material inside that sense pressure and speed. When the cover is folded open entirely, covering the back, the keys stop being sensitive to touch.
Demonstrators from Microsoft told us they could type upwards of 50 words per minute, but I didn't have access to the device long enough to test my ability to input "The quick brown fox jumped over the lazy dog."
There was another keyboard accessory with depressible keys that was 5.5 millimeters thick, or nearly twice the regular cover. It felt more comfortable for typing but didn't seem revolutionary. You can also type on the screen, the way you can on an iPad.
Microsoft's upcoming Windows 8 operating system and its Windows RT counterpart for low-power chips are supposed to bridge the gap between touch devices and personal computers.
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