My first impression of the typing experience

[goodintentions]

I just bought a surface pro 3. I got it mainly to replace my almost decade old laptop as a primary work device. I write programs and mobile applications with that laptop, and that's what I intend to do with the sp3.

As soon as I got it, I immediately started typing away.

What I don't get is this. Plenty of tech review articles claim that the typing experience using the type cover isn't that great. I don't know why they say that. I am typing this post very very fast, as fast as I could type. And I consider myself to be a very fast typer.

And get this. I've been typing on my lap.

I would argue that my typing experience at this moment is way better than my old laptop.

Anyone else think tech review writers still sound like ifansboys/girls?

 

[Moonsurface]

I've not had a problem typing on my type cover either. It's a little louder perhaps than a normal keyboard but I have no trouble with it really. I'm usually typing at odd angles as well..lol

 

[goodintentions]

I've not had a problem typing on my type cover either. It's a little louder perhaps than a normal keyboard but I have no trouble with it really. I'm usually typing at odd angles as well..lol

Regarding the loud sound, I'm actually old school. There are 2 types of types: those who like it loud and those who like it quiet.

 

[leeshor]

2 words, Cherry Switches.

 

[hughlle]

My primary keyboard is a dinovo edge, i've had it for years and years, and am just used to it, plus a lot of software i use rely heavily on some keys the type cover is missing. However i absolutely love the typecover. The keys are large enough to be fully usable as a keyboard, unlike some of these tablet keyboard kickstands i've seen, but they're small enough that it seems to give me really fluid typing, in my mind because my fingers do not have to move as far.

I'd give it 10/10 if it were not for the couple of useful keys missing. It may not have features that a typical £100 keyboard has, but it is an engineering masterpiece to make something so thin, act like a genuine keyboard, with backlight to boot!

 

[malberttoo]

I don't have any issue with the Type Cover keyboard at all.

And as far as the noise... I bought a Deck keyboard for my workstation specifically for the clicky-clack noise.

 

[Moonsurface]

Oh I don't dislike the noise, it's OK, it sounds different to any other keyboard I use. At home and work I have Microsoft Comfort 5000 keyboards, the one at home is older and a lot louder than the one at work which is much more soft-touch, they must have made "improvements!"

 

[zhenya]

I have found it to work better than expected, and that the slope it sits at is actually a more comfortable angle than the perfectly flat position most laptop keyboards sit at. The backlighting is good - in that it's not overly bright and automatic (I'm looking at you Lenovo, who even on your premium Thinkpads have backlights that blind you and don't turn on automatically (but turn themselves off all the time). So despite being a keyboard snob with a Thinkpad and a WASD keyboard with Cherry switches as my primary keyboard, this one is pretty decent.

My main complaints are that it's a little bit flexy still and that there isn't really enough key travel to make it comfortable to use for longer sessions. Overall very well done however.

 

[ptrkhh]

premium Thinkpads have backlights that blind you and don't turn on automatically (but turn themselves off all the time)

Its not a big issue IMO, just press the Fn/Ctrl/Alt button when you need the backlight to turn back on.

 

[kundas1]

2 words, Cherry Switches.

what is that?.... like a drink? lol

 

[zhenya]

Its not a big issue IMO, just press the Fn/Ctrl/Alt button when you need the backlight to turn back on.

Why should you have to though? As frequently as it turns off on my Thinkpad, I end up doing that nearly every time I pick it up to use it. It's the kind of attention to detail they should be getting right.

 

[leeshor]

You are

what is that?.... like a drink? lol

You obviously aren't old enough. Think Northgate or Avant Stellar (IBM Selectric) style keyboards.

I used to buy Northgate OmniKey keyboards by the case.