On 2012-10-18 2:20 PM, Jean Parrot -> Alan Zisman wrote:   
      
    JP>      Me still, Alan.   
    AZ>> Note that the Surface keyboard(s) are $100+ add-ons to the various   
    AZ>> base-prices...   
    AZ>> there are lots of optional add-on keyboards for iPads as well -   
    JP> and I've   
    AZ>> been able to plug a USB keyboard into my (Android) Nexus 7 tablet and   
    AZ>> even my Galaxy Nexus smartphone... not something I feel the need   
    JP> to use   
    AZ>> on a regular basis, but it was nice to see that it worked.   
      
    JP>      It took me a while to get to know this and I did this morning. The   
    JP> basic one is sans this KB. If/when I go to the Pro version, I will first   
    JP> test the Touch KB or the Type KB at Best Buy before I decide.   
      
    AZ>> A keyboard and pointing device is pretty much needed (in my   
    JP> opinion) for   
    AZ>> the upcoming Windows 8 tablets (like next year's promised Surface Pro   
    AZ>> models); hopefully less needed for Windows RT tablets (like this   
    JP> month's   
    AZ>> promised Surface models).... the difference - Windows RT isn't   
    JP> backwards   
    AZ>> compatible to standard Windows software, so (hopefully) anything that   
    AZ>> CAN run on them will be touch-optimized. We'll see!   
      
    JP>      I recently saw somebody typing on an ipad, the backspace was hit as   
    JP> much as any other key, could have been the typist but that was enough to   
    JP> turn me off a non-KB tablet. I hope that the Pro version will accept all   
    JP> my old apps as this W-8 does here. I have been on it since April or so   
    JP> and I can still use Office 2K and most of the other old PRGs that I have   
    JP> here. Time will tell.   
      
    JP>      Back home now and doing winter prevention chores. Are you ready ?   
      
   Not much to do here in Vancouver to get ready for winter... close the windows   
   tighter, and change the (electric) thermostats from Off to Auto. There was a   
   few moments of hail earlier this morning - now it's all melted away and the   
   skies are blue. After I finish w. FIDO it'll be time to take the dog to the   
   park.   
      
   While MS is not planning on releasing Surface-Pro tablets until early 2013, a   
   variety of OEMs will have Windows 8 tablets out in a week or two - I had a few   
   moments of hands-on with a Samsung tablet yesterday... Intel Atom CPU (similar   
   to typical Windows netbooks), full Windows 8 with both 'ModernUI' and Desktop,   
   so it should be fully backwards-compatible.   
      
   I didn't ask about pricing.   
      
   It (and the MS Surface series) ought to work with 3rd-party bluetooth, and   
   maybe even USB keyboards/mice.   
      
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