[PCWorld]

Post your comments for Microsoft Surface RT tablet touch cover keyboard fuels complaints here

[YodaMan]

You know---you can tell some things are a bad idea just by looking at them. Two examples are the Osprey aircraft and the Touch keypad for Surface. Why don't they just drop the Touch and go with the Type keyboard, which has real, honest-to-goodness keys and makes a lot more sense.

[goofium]

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You know---you can tell some things are a bad idea just by looking at them. Two examples are the Osprey aircraft and the Touch keypad for Surface. Why don't they just drop the Touch and go with the Type keyboard, which has real, honest-to-goodness keys and makes a lot more sense.

I would agree with you there. I found the *option* between the two (Touch and Type) was not even made very clear at their site, not to mention the huge price difference. It is just another way to try to knock down the price I think, which is still way too high IMHO, for both RT and pending Pro model. I am also believing cost conscience consumers are likely to hold out for Gen2, or check out the Ultrabook competition (transform into tablet type models, ironically very similar to what they tried to push a decade ago). I feel Google will lose out until they add a real keyboard that attaches well (not some clumsy Bluetooth accessory). Meanwhile, their ChromeBook looks like some lost cousin of anything modern....

[JohnBailoex9v]

You know Logitech makes a $40 "Android keyboard" (920-003390) that will work with any tablet. So, get a $112 android tablet from some place like Price Angels, turn it on its side and bingo. Surface.

[goofium]

And is it just me, or does everyone else HATE these glossy screens now on all Tablet models? They are prone to fingerprints and smudges, lots of glare.. just something I even want to look at for long.

[imapcgeek]

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You know---you can tell some things are a bad idea just by looking at them. Two examples are the Osprey aircraft and the Touch keypad for Surface. Why don't they just drop the Touch and go with the Type keyboard, which has real, honest-to-goodness keys and makes a lot more sense. I would agree with you there. I found the option between the two (Touch and Type) was not even made very clear at their site, not to mention the huge price difference. It is just another way to try to knock down the price I think, which is still way too high IMHO, for both RT and pending Pro model. I am also believing cost conscience consumers are likely to hold out for Gen2, or check out the Ultrabook competition (transform into tablet type models, ironically very similar to what they tried to push a decade ago). I feel Google will lose out until they add a real keyboard that attaches well (not some clumsy Bluetooth accessory). Meanwhile, their ChromeBook looks like some lost cousin of anything modern....

There is only a $10 difference between the prices of touch and type covers. Doesn't quite qualify as a "huge price difference". However, I do agree that the Surface 2 will be way better. They started hiring for development on the Surface 2 a while before the pricing for the Surface was released. And the Ultrabook competition isn't likely to pose much competition, since current touch-enabled ultrabooks are big, heavy, and expensive.

[imapcgeek]

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And is it just me, or does everyone else HATE these glossy screens now on all Tablet models? They are prone to fingerprints and smudges, lots of glare.. just something I even want to look at for long.

The Surface actually has less glare than a lot of other tablets, due to optical bonding, which reduces the separation between the glass and the screen, which in the process reduces glare.

[JohnBailoex9v]

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You know---you can tell some things are a bad idea just by looking at them. Two examples are the Osprey aircraft and the Touch keypad for Surface. Why don't they just drop the Touch and go with the Type keyboard, which has real, honest-to-goodness keys and makes a lot more sense.

I've been test driving the $249 Chromebook. They have them at a display kiosk at BestBuy. I am sold (although they haven't been in stock the past week). Yesterday I brought my new Clear wimax USB Atlas modem which is compatible with linux...worked perfectly...no drivers to install. This is the architecture I want...a web-machine that does it cheaply and with a long lasting battery.

[JustinMSalvato]

If people can get over the antenna-gate issue with Apple's iPhone 4, they will get over this since Microsoft is doing everything to please the customer including replacing the touch keyboards.

Still looking forward to the Surface Pro next year and yes, I am thinking of getting the touch keyboard because it is SOOO thin. Keep in mind, the Surface Pro is thicker than the Surface RT and adding the type cover would be equivalent to having the thickness of a laptop. However, if they made colored type covers, I would get one of those

[GDedrick]

I am still trying to wrap my head around who in the world thought that having mini up and down arrow keys was a good idea. Am I the only one that thinks it is idiotic to have all the keys one size but have the up and down arrow keys miniaturized?

[TsarNikky]

This is one of many nasty things that can happen when something quite toy-like tries to be used instead of better designed laptops and desktops.

[TomMariner]

For $10 more there is a superb keyboard from Microsoft -- not flexible, but magnetically connects and works insanely great.

[midway]

Quote

You know---you can tell some things are a bad idea just by looking at them. Two examples are the Osprey aircraft and the Touch keypad for Surface. Why don't they just drop the Touch and go with the Type keyboard, which has real, honest-to-goodness keys and makes a lot more sense. I've been test driving the $249 Chromebook. They have them at a display kiosk at BestBuy. I am sold (although they haven't been in stock the past week). Yesterday I brought my new Clear wimax USB Atlas modem which is compatible with linux...worked perfectly...no drivers to install. This is the architecture I want...a web-machine that does it cheaply and with a long lasting battery.

[midway]

Just went to best buy and got the $249 Samsung chromebook, after owning iPads nexus 7 and kindle fire hd and hearing about the problems with the covers on the Microsoft tablet the chromebook seems to be the one to have at $249 it is a steal below the radar for now but Google should promote it more those other tech companies will have some competition with the chromebook.

[wizeplato]

I'm not sure why there is such negativity with the touch keyboard. It is SOO thin, which makes it so much better than the type keyboard. I type around 40 words per minute and I can type flawlessly on the touch. I've had others try it and like it also.

I will say that I had the issue where the fabric flips up at the top, so I went back to the store and they swapped it out on the spot.

[elsaaliyah]

i love my N7 and i have a zagg keyboard whenever i need a physical keyboard. i just bought the samsung google chromebook for $249 and i also feel like its a steal! i havent tried out the surface yet and i cant wait till i do. im sure microsoft knows what its doing but if anything ill try to hold out till the 2nd gen surface. there are so many exciting tablets, chromebooks and everything in between. im really excited for this holiday season lets see what comes out and at what price. cause for me im all about quality and price. oh and may i add my family which consist of wife,9 year old girl and 3 year old girls we all have tablets but they love the chromebook! wife likes the sexy look, 9year old likes the weight and my 3 year old likes the keyboard.

[drx1]

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And is it just me, or does everyone else HATE these glossy screens now on all Tablet models? They are prone to fingerprints and smudges, lots of glare.. just something I even want to look at for long. The Surface actually has less glare than a lot of other tablets, due to optical bonding, which reduces the separation between the glass and the screen, which in the process reduces glare.

Yes, but the glare is still bad on many screens - laptop, notebook, tablet and phone ... even the iPad 3 has a great screen that is hozed by glare - which I had to fix with a $30 anti glare screen/film....

It is like nobody remembers the glare for the 1990s and all the CRT displays. Some say that you get better blacks with the shiny display, but that's not really true - you really get worse glare.

FWIW, I guess they are trying to reduce the glare - but sometimes this is only with a brighter screen - which only helps when you have a white/light background (not dark or blacks)....

Just get the anti glare cover - but it is a shame - they used to make great matte displays... a few still do (Dell monitors, LG TVs ... ), when you can find them.

[chrisakatrace]

B/c the touch cover is amazing. I own a surface with a touch cover and I can type nearly as fast as I can on a regular keyboard and it's much smaller. It doesn't bend backward, so you have to detach it and spin it around to fold it back so you don't have to set it aside when your not using it. I imagine that the customers that are complaining about their keyboard breaking are folding it back.

[thewazak]

A minor gremlin is a "major disaster" for MS - or so the headline suggests.
But in the small print it appears damage is due more to misuse.
It's thin plastic: you just can't tie knots in it (too often!).

But at least MS have not told their users that "they are holding it wrong".

[rukakikka]

Is it obvious to everyone else besides me that all the previous comments have been made by interns of their respective companies, either MS or Google?