Microsoft Surface – need to know

The Microsoft Surface tablet also has a trio of accessories at launch, which includes a couple of screen covers and a pen. Dismiss them as unnecessary clutter at your peril though – they've got more brains than you might think.

Microsoft Surface – Touch Cover and Type Cover

The Touch Cover is similar to Apple's Smart Cover in that it magnetically attaches to the Surface and shields its display from harm. Unlike its i-counterpart however, the Touch Cover has an inbuilt pressure sensitive multi-touch trackpad and keyboard – a marvel given its 3mm thickness.

The Type cover is a bit thicker at 5mm, but has an actual chiclet keyboard built into it for people who'd like to take their typing a little more seriously. Both covers also have an accelerometer so that they automatically turn off when folded back over the screen. We're not sure how Microsoft managed to pack all this tech into 3-5mm slivers of screen protection, but we're glad it did.

Microsoft Surface – Pen with Palm Block

The Microsoft Surface WIndows 8 Pro tablet can also play nice with a pen input at 600dpi resolution, along with a handy palm block feature which stops your hand from interfering with your doodling and note taking.

Microsoft Surface – first impressions

Microsoft suprised us all with it's sleek and polished pair of Surface tablets. Both seem to have nailed the combination of premium design with useful functionality, though we'll have to wait and see how well our fingers get on with the likes of those fancy keyboard accessories in our full in-depth review. With the possibility of the Pro model filling the role of both laptop and tablet, Microsoft has got us very excited indeed. Bring on Autumn, we say.

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