SP3 keyboard needs to be included!

[Oliverspin]

How awesome/logical would it be for Microsoft to include the keyboard? They could include it and bump the price of the surface up half the price of the keyboard. This makes sense, do you agree?

 

[xandros9]

It does in some cases, but bundling it could mean they will have to have different color keyboards bundled in, and could end up being a nightmare of complexity. (there's already multiple SP3 models to boot)

I think it would be nice to include it in the price, and give users a voucher towards a "free" keyboard (like enough to cover the baseline one,, heavily discounts something like the Power Cover) and charge extra for additional keyboards. Its still separate, people can get the colors they want, MS doesn't have to deal with the logistics of even more SP3 permutations.

but what if a user is odd and doesn't want a keyboard? It could be in the same vein as the bundled Kinect situation earlier with Xbox.

 

[Jas00555]

It would be both not awesome and illogical. They did bundle them, but then stores only wanted to sell black since it was the safest bet. So if someone like me wanted a red one, I would be SOL if they only did that.

Plus, the keyboard is the only way that they make their money back. They have negative profit margins on the Surface series.

Also, like xandros9 said, what would happen if someone didn't want a keyboard? They would have to pay a $50 premium for something they would never use. At least with Kinect, most people at least tried it.

 

[Grimlock]

I think with surface RT there may have been a segment of customers who didn't get the keyboard, but with the Pro I have a hard time believing more than a 1-2% of people don't get the the keyboard.

All I know is every single review of the SP3 mentions they should bundle the keyboard for free, and MS should listen. They felt compelled to bundle the kinect with the xbox one, and they should have felt even more compelled to bundle the keyboard with the sp3. In the former case not as many people really wanted kinect, but pretty much everyone wants a keyboard.

 

[coolbreeze78]

It would be both not awesome and illogical. They did bundle them, but then stores only wanted to sell black since it was the safest bet. So if someone like me wanted a red one, I would be SOL if they only did that.

Plus, the keyboard is the only way that they make their money back. They have negative profit margins on the Surface series.

Also, like xandros9 said, what would happen if someone didn't want a keyboard? They would have to pay a $50 premium for something they would never use. At least with Kinect, most people at least tried it.

If they offered a keyboard with purchase, they should do just that. Pay for the Surface Pro 3, choose the color of KB you want. Walk out with two boxes.

Nobody said a black KB needs to be included with the SP3 in a single box.

​I happily bought a KB, but it's really a simple concept should MSFT choose to do so. I'm betting they don't care because they are selling a ton of SP3's as-is. And good for them. It's an incredible product and is finally perfected.

 

[Oliverspin]

The way I see it, handling the logistics of the different combinations of models and colors isn't too complex. In the very least, get outlets to sell the basic colors and offer all the combinations online. After all, can't these modern day companies that handle all these complex financial and technological problems figure out a few color/model combinations?...

 

[dolphinparty]

It gets even more complicated in other countries though. There must be a lot of different layouts in Europe, even the UK has a different layout then the US English version.

MS could bundle in the USA, but would have issues elsewhere.

 

[mozman68]

With the education discount and then FatWallet on top of that, the keyboard WAS included for me...(heck...I might have even made a few bucks...:winktongue

 

[WillysJeepMan]

It does in some cases, but bundling it could mean they will have to have different color keyboards bundled in, and could end up being a nightmare of complexity. (there's already multiple SP3 models to boot)

I think it would be nice to include it in the price, and give users a voucher towards a "free" keyboard (like enough to cover the baseline one,, heavily discounts something like the Power Cover) and charge extra for additional keyboards. Its still separate, people can get the colors they want, MS doesn't have to deal with the logistics of even more SP3 permutations.

but what if a user is odd and doesn't want a keyboard? It could be in the same vein as the bundled Kinect situation earlier with Xbox.

This is the correct answer.
I'm surprised that responses so far are trying to justify not including the keyboard when this solution (voucher) makes so much sense. As for the odd user who doesn't want the keyboard? Well all 3 of those people could turn around and sell the keyboard.... For those who want a 2nd or replacement keyboard.

 

[Fred Mertz]

I just bought the keyboard and I think the Tablet should be given to me for free. Life sure isn't fair.

 

[jedge]

None of the Surface line have ever included a keyboard. In the beginning you could not only choose between colors, you also picked the Type cover or the Touch cover.

Anyone remember when the SP1 first came out and the idea was, MS or 3rd party vendors could make their own custom covers. I remember one was made for DJs and had mixing sliders and stuff on it, as opposed to a qwerty keyboard. Wonder what ever happened to that idea?

 

[WillysJeepMan]

None of the Surface line have ever included a keyboard. In the beginning you could not only choose between colors, you also picked the Type cover or the Touch cover.

Anyone remember when the SP1 first came out and the idea was, MS or 3rd party vendors could make their own custom covers. I remember one was made for DJs and had mixing sliders and stuff on it, as opposed to a qwerty keyboard. Wonder what ever happened to that idea?

that was the SP2. What happened? Microsoft failed once again to follow through. And by changing the form factor so quickly with the SP3, they guaranteed that no 3rd party will take a risk in producing custom blades.

 

[Jas00555]

that was the SP2. What happened? Microsoft failed once again to follow through. And by changing the form factor so quickly with the SP3, they guaranteed that no 3rd party will take a risk in producing custom blades.

Yes, because Apple changing the iPhone's form factor killed all 3rd party accessories. Ever since Samsung changed the design of nearly every phone they've ever made, that has caused there to be zero accessories for any Galaxy S phone. Clearly slightly increasing the size of a blade and keeping everything else the same is just too much work for 3rd parties to handle, so there won't be any 3rd party accessories. Did I get that right?

 

[WillysJeepMan]

Yes, because Apple changing the iPhone's form factor killed all 3rd party accessories. Ever since Samsung changed the design of nearly every phone they've ever made, that has caused there to be zero accessories for any Galaxy S phone. Clearly slightly increasing the size of a blade and keeping everything else the same is just too much work for 3rd parties to handle, so there won't be any 3rd party accessories. Did I get that right?

Not quite. In the case of Apple and samsung they sold millions of devices before changing the form factor and they didn't announce a for factor change 7 months after debuting a feature like custom blades. Apple has a positive track record of support for their phones and tablets, Microsoft does not.

if you think that changing a form factor is no big thing then I suggest that you may not have much knowledge or experience in manufacturing. The impact of a change in form factor would be aggravated if Microsoft's partners making those custom blades weren't given advance notice of the change.