AMAZING INFO ABOUT WINDOW SURFACE

The Touch Cover is the ultra-thin touch keyboard for those that value portability; the Type Cover is the slightly thicker keyboard with physical buttons for those that want keys that actually move rather than just the audio feedback of the Touch Cover.

Both have the same connection and they snap into the magnetic latch easily but firmly; little latches fit into the Surface itself, which is why it stays in place even if you're holding the cover and letting the keyboard drop under its own weight.

Snap either cover in place and instead of the sharp edge on one side, you have a comfortable grip that feels like the edge of a magazine or a thin hardback book – it's equally comfortable to hold whether the cover is closed to protect a screen that doesn't really need protection or folded back.

As soon as you fold the cover forward against the screen it turns the Surface off (putting it into Connected Standby – we're wondering if Apple's patent lawyers are rubbing their hands with glee at more work); when you fold it back against the hinge the accelerometer turns the keyboard off automatically so you're not typing while you hold it.

That's the same feature as on Lenovo's Yoga notebook, but with a much thinner keyboard to fold back.

The Touch Cover looks more like a picture of a keyboard than an actual keyboard; it's the same multitouch sensors Microsoft used inside theSidewinder keyboard.

They're very thin but they're also very accurate so they pick up your typing well. The keys are a good size with a little spacing between them; the touchpad underneath is a little small but it has left and right buttons – and you have the whole touch screen for larger gestures.

You'll use the touchpad when you want the precision of placing the mouse cursor inside a word.

The Touch Cover comes in five colours: white, black, red plus cyan and magenta versions that will match Nokia's cyan and magenta Lumia rangenicely.

Typing on the Touch Cover is a little odd at first because the keys don't move under your fingers; but they don't pick up typing until you actually hit the keys so just resting your hand on the keyboard or even putting your fingers in place on the keyboard while you think about what to say doesn't generate stray characters.

The soft surface is more comfortable and less slippery than typing on a screen – not to mention being at the right angle.

It is harder on your fingers than typing on a keyboard with physical keys that give as you type, so if you type a lot there's the Type Cover.

This has the same strokeable soft feel as the Surface chassis itself and the keys go down a surprising distance for a keyboard that's still so thin.

As well as all the usual keys, down to backslash, pipe and a nicely arranged set of four arrow keys, the top row of keys has the volume, media playback and navigation keys you'd expect – and that's Home, End, Page Up, Page Down and Delete but not the irritating Insert key that does nothing but make Word type over what you've already written.

Between them are four keys you won't have seen before but will recognise from the Windows 8 interface; they're the Search, Share, Devices and Settings buttons from the Charm bar so you can get at them without having to take your hands of the keyboard to swipe across the screen.

The Type Cover has those keys labelled as function keys as well; the Function lock button is on the Touch Cover as well so you can use F7 in Word to start spell check of Shift F3 to change case if you want to.

Presumably, Microsoft believes that if you know what function keys are you can find them by the number keys in the row below.

The back of the keyboard covers (and the front of the Touch Cover) are a tough microfibre fleece made especially for Microsoft; it's soft to the touch, comfortable and gives you a good grip.