In the current state of Windows 8 and Windows RT, it's only skin-deep: Using Office apps or modifying system settings quickly calls up the old Windows 7 UI. Then there's the UI formerly known as Metro. Without one, in my admittedly limited experience, it's not quite useable. This might explain why Microsoft insists on selling a keyboard with its Surface tablet. If I use the Touch Cover trackpad instead of directly touching the Control Panel on the ironically named Surface screen, things improve dramatically: My fat fingers now become delicate. You need the sanded fingertips Steve Jobs famously derided when asked about smaller tablets. Because of the lack of zoom, picking the right option in a list a game of chance. You type ~ followed by n to get ñ.īut how does this actually work in the reimagined Windows RT? I fumble around and finally find my old friend, the Control Panel:įrom there, I go to Clock, Language, and Region, pop open the Input Method menu… and select the wrong mode. Normally, this isn't a problem go to the Windows Control Panel, select the English International keyboard as the input mode, and you're set. I discover this when I need to type accented characters such é or ñ, characters that, of course, don't appear on the keyboard. While Word 2013 does a good job zooming using a two-finger touch, the Control Panel and other essential parts of Windows RT are (barely) touch-enabled retreads from Windows 7 they ignore your zoom. Keyboard problem solved, I hit another snag. I'm off to Stanford's Microsoft Store to correct my expensive mistake. For "real" typing, I need the "real" Type Cover. Instead, you have to work with an unsatisfying, felt-like surface without tactile feedback. Building a keyboard into a protective cover is a great idea, but, as the name implies, the Touch version doesn't have a real keyboard. When I ordered the Surface, I chose the slim $119.99 Touch Cover combo rather than the thicker $129.99 Type Cover. ![]() Not so slick, the keyboard and touchpad aren't very helpful. In order to get a taste for the full Surface experience, I fire up Word 2013 (included with the tablet) to write this Monday Note. The magnetic touch keyboard and power adapter latch onto the tablet-PC without ado, the machine's launch is a breeze: I answer a few simple questions, enter my Hotmail credentials and I'm in business. First, the Surface: unpack, plug in, boot up, no problem.
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