ASSOCIATED PRESS
Published: 7:50 p.m. Saturday, June 23, 2012
LOS ANGELES â€" Microsoft seems to have gotten the design and form factor right with its new Surface tablet computer. The user interface, not so much. That's an odd conclusion to make about a device from a software company that usually lets others do the manufacturing.
That's how I felt after feeling the heft of the device, examining it from all sides and making a few swipes at the screen. The Surface has a touch keyboard cover that feels great and is a big step forward for tablets. The tablet's software interface, however, seems nonintuitive and sluggish.
Microsoft is straddling the uncomfortable divide between the old world of mice and keyboards, where it dominates, and a future ruled by touch screens, where Apple and Android devices prevail.
Although the Surface won't go on sale until this fall, I got to spend a few minutes with some devices in a group demonstration after Microsoft unveiled them in Los Angeles last week.
The removable cover comes across as a takeoff on 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, though it's not clear if it will be sold separately. Apple sells the Smart Cover separately starting at $39.
The Surface covers come in two varieties: the Touch and the Type.
The Touch cover is the thinner of the two, measuring just 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 movable, 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've 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 running track, but not as grippy.
The keys on the Touch 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 upward of 50 words per minute, but I didn't have access long enough to tell.
The Type cover has depressible keys and is 5.5 millimeters thick, nearly twice the thickness of Touch. It felt more comfortable for typing but didn't seem as revolutionary. You can also type on the screen, the way you can on an iPad.
Running the length of the Surface is a thin, 0.7-millimeter metal flap called the kickstand. This transforms the device from a grippable tablet to a computer you can type at while sitting at a desk or table. The kickstand positions the tablet to lean back at 22 degrees.
The front-facing camera looks up at you, while the back camera is angled so that it points straight forward when the kickstand is extended. The angle of the back camera should make it easier to shoot video or take pictures while looking down at the screen held at an angle.
As polished as the hardware is, the tablet's software disappoints.
I detected a lag when swiping, which just seems wrong on a touch screen. You can see where your finger is touching, so if the image doesn't come along in real time, that's noticeable.
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.
But the company has made a perplexing design choice by hiding crucial navigation items off the screen. Finding them requires swiping in from the sides. I would need a tutorial on what actions lead to what results.
Those who have tested the software on personal computers have reported not being able to find the "Start" menu. The Surface seems to address this by putting a permanent Windows icon in the middle of the device below the screen. The icon triggers a vibration when touched, which helps because it's not a physical button.
So who would use this device?
Microsoft said the low-power version using Nvidia chips will cost about the same as other tablets, while a version that runs Windows 8 Pro will cost about the same as ultrabooks with Intel processors. The Pro version will have a stylus that allows users to make handwritten notes on documents such as PDF files. It also has an Intel processor and the option for more memory.
Surface splits the difference between a standard tablet and superlight laptops such as the MacBook Air or Windows-based ultrabooks.
But typing on the Surface's keyboard cover seems to require just that, a surface. I'm not sure how I would manage the cover keyboard and a kickstand on my lap.
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