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Microsoft Universal Folding Keyboard. Hands-on test.


Some people came away from Mobile World Congress wanting the Samsung Galaxy S6. Others were blown away by a VR headset from HTC. Me, I came away from MWC thinking about the new Microsoft universal folding keyboard. This Bluetooth keyboard is an amazing bit of engineering and I had two chances to check it out at MWC. The videos are below.

Microsoft universal folding keyboard.

Microsoft universal folding keyboard. My estimate: 120 grams  / 0.3 pounds

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Microsoft flappy-keyboard looks like a wallet. I love it!


The new Microsoft Universal Foldable Keyboard is tiny and desirable, but pricey. Here’s my hands-on thoughts and video.

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If there’s one sub-thread that has existed throughout the last 9 years of UMPCPortal it has to be mobile keyboards. PDAs generated a reasonable market for folding, rolling, laser-projected and even fabric keyboards but it hasn’t been until recently that the market picked up again with practical engineering, materials and features. I run a Microsoft Wedge keyboard across a number of tablets and am currently typing this article on a Type Cover with a Surface Pro 3. It’s that Type Cover technology that appears in one of the lightest keyboards I’ve seen since my all-time favorite, the Samsung Q1 UMPC keyboard. The Microsoft universal folding keyboard is incredibly light and although it has a slightly split keyboard I like the layout.

 

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The key sizes are slightly smaller than you get on a Type Cover but not by much and there’s dual Bluetooth connectivity option for switching between two devices. My guess is 120 grams in weight but I could be wrong. Microsoft haven’t made the weight official yet.

What Microsoft have declared is an integrated a battery that lasts for three months, auto-shutdown on close, a spill-resistant design and a total height, when folded, of 11.5mm. Naturally, the Bluetooth HID profile support means it’s going to work across many, many devices and that includes some of those old PDAs!

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There’s a problem though. Where simple portable Bluetooth keyboards start at around $20, this one is going to set you back just under $100. That’s more than a low-cost Windows 8, 8-inch tablet PC!

Microsoft have a sales page up now. It’s ‘Coming Soon.’

Analysing the next Surface Pro platforms.


Surface Pro 3 is an amazing piece of engineering. Even with the keyboard it’s one of the most powerful self-contained PCs by weight and with 5-6 hours of working battery life, fast storage and a digitizer it doesn’t cut corners. We’d all like to see a full SD card slot and for it to run a little cooler under load but unless you’re really doing a lot of ‘lapping’, it’s a true notebook replacement. Now that the Intel Core M has been launched we have an idea of what’s possible for 2015. Core M or Broadwell-U are highly likely to be in the Surface labs already as Microsoft try to work out where the next super-tablet should be positioned but there are other options too. Could Cherry Trail play a part in Surface Pro’s future?

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Surface Pro 3. Engineering vs Demand vs Future


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It’s exactly 12-hours after the launch of the Microsoft Surface Pro 3 as I start to write this article. I’ve spent a number of hours hours researching and making notes on this unique product and have come to one main conclusion. Microsoft has a superbly engineered product in the Surface Pro 3 but it’s too early for mainstream 2-in-1 customers.

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Surface Mini. ‘New experiences’ could launch on 20th May.


We’ve been playing with the first round of Baytrail-T based Windows tablets for nearly six months now and while satisfaction levels appear to be high we’ve also realized that these ‘consumer-first’ tablets could be rounded-off with better specifications and new features that would widen their appeal to businesses and consumers. Microsoft is holding an event on the 20th May which could see a Surface Mini launch and a chance to raise the bar, raise awareness and raise excitement about Windows 8 tablets.

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Office on Windows Modern Demonstrated at BUILD


It’s not the launch announcement that we were hoping for but at least Microsoft are being public about progress on their touch-focused Office for Modern applications. At the opening keynote today we saw a demonstration of progress, and it looks good.

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Microsoft Wedge Bluetooth Keyboard Unboxing and Test


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The unboxing is below and the test is happening right now as I type this…

As I got close to finalizing V13 of the Ultra Mobile Reporting kit this week in preparation for CeBIT I realized I needed a new keyboard. The Bluetooth keyboard I was using as a test just wasn’t good enough and the USB keyboard I have from an old Samsung Q1 Ultra was, well, USB, which  can be a problem when using a Windows tablet that only has one USB port. I chose the Microsoft Wedge keyboard after a few discussions and a test at a local store and the feature that sold it for me was the cover that turns into a tablet stand.

The unit weighs 443 grams (about 50:50 keyboard and stand) so isn’t the lightest solution around but it’s compact and looks like it’s built to a very high standard. The materials are high-grade and the finishing is excellent.

Paring to a Windows 8.1 tablet was simple (done for the first time live in the video below) and setting up the stand is no problem with 8 or 10-inch tablets. It’s nice and stable thanks to the rubberized finish. 12-inch tablets shouldn’t be a problem either but I haven’t tested anything that big yet.

 

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According to the specifications the unit will last for 6 months on two AAA batteries and the specification sheet tells me that the keys are going to last forever. 5 million actuations!

What we really need to know though is how good it is for typing. Going back to a keyboard that has non-island keys is quite a change for me but by this point in the article I’m starting to feel confident and speeding up nicely. The feature keys on the top row give you direct access to Windows 8 search, share, devices and settings and there are media keys included too. The Fn key allows function key access.

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Cursor keys are a little small and the left-Shift (my preferred side) is also small so I’m having to be a little careful. I feel that I’ll ‘zone-in’ soon though. Note that I have a German keyboard here.

Time will tell if this really is a good keyboard and to that end I’ll be taking it to CeBIT next week with the ASUS Vivotab Note 8  in order to do some press-room testing. The video below was edited in Cyberlink Power Director 12 and rendered out at 720p in 2X real-time which is amazing for such a small device. I’ll also be testing the Changers solar charger too to see how much work time I can get out of the sun. If that works out I think I’ve found myself a new off-the-grid, ultra mobile PC setup.

 

Microsoft Surface Pro 2. Real-World Battery Life Review


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This is a post by Surface Pro 2 owner Hector Gomez who shares his battery life report after one month of usage…

When Microsoft announced the first Surface Pro it got hit with many reviewers claiming battery life was only around 3.5 hours. I personally got a good 5 hours, and yes, if I watched a  lot of videos on it, it did drop down. Though I was able to get a full work day use out of it I accepted I would always have to carry the power supply with me for full-days of usage. That changed with the Microsoft Surface Pro 2…

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