Source: Microsoft Surface and Smart Covers Weren't Ready
After yesterday's Microsoft event, I was left wondering with several questions. First of all, one of the biggest differentiator between the Microsoft Surface was something known as a Smart Covers (known individually as Touch and Type Covers): basically Microsoft's keyboard for the Surface. It is a 3mm thin cover (the Type Cover is slightly thicker) that doubles as a keyboard, and therefore, allowing people the portability option of just carrying the Microsoft Surface with Smart Cover slapped on top instead of an iPad and MacBook Air. It is brimmed with features - having a touchpad, accelerometer and all sorts of cool technology within. But here's the catch. Microsoft did not allow journalists to play, or even touch a working unit of the Microsoft Surface with Smart Cover. If this aspect of the tablet is so important to them, why not let people judge it for themselves? Well, here's why: It's not ready. A low-key source from the event emailed me saying Microsoft had specific instructions not to let anyone touch a booted up unit of the Microsoft because it wasn't ready yet. No wonder they weren't able to pull an Apple and say here it is, it's available today and you can pick it up for $xx. No wonder all the technology websites and blogs reporting an hands-on did not actually mean hands-on, but rather a hands-off.
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