One of the biggest selling points of Microsoft’s Surface line is the fact that the device represents a balance between the convenience of a tablet and the practicality of a fully fledged laptop. The reason it can hover in that middle-ground is thanks in no small part to its Type Cover keyboard accessory.
Many users have found that having a robust, detachable keyboard alleviates much of the frustration that typing with a touch screen can cause. The Type Cover makes the Surface a potent tool for work — but since it retails for a little more than $100, it’s something of an expensive add-on.
Thankfully, there might be an alternative on the horizon. Editors Keys is a company based in England that designs keyboards for use in audio and video editing, and it’s about to offer a competing keyboard for the Surface. Editors Keys founder and owner Mark Hughes theorizes that the product “may appeal to students or anyone who wants a spaced out keyboard for the Surface Pro 3.”
The device is set to complement the Surface in much the same way as the Type Cover — however, it will be substantially less expensive, and also contain its own battery. If you don’t want to affix it directly to your Surface, it will be completely functional as a wireless Bluetooth keyboard.
While the device doesn’t yet have a name, development is already nearing its end. The trackpad reportedly still needs some work, but it seems that this Type Cover competitor might be ready for retail sooner rather than later. And, with a price tag of just £49.99 (~$69.99), it could well be the budget alternative to Microsoft’s first-party keyboard that many Surface users have been looking for.
