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Does anyone have a Surface Laptop with the Alcantara keyboard surround?
If so, how dirty does it get?
cheers
Chris Maunder
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Um ... not seen one, but ...
Surface Laptop is just a laptop, making it Microsoft’s most baffling release yet | Ars Technica[^]
Quote: Colors aside, the one novelty of the Surface Laptop is the keyboard surround. Rather than bare metal or some kind of composite, Microsoft has covered it with Alcantara, a synthetic fabric. Microsoft has used Alcantara for keyboard surrounds before, as most of the new Surface Pro keyboards use it, for example. Alcantara is more commonly used in a range of automotive applications, such as to cover steering wheels. It's designed to be hard-wearing and tolerant of the sweat and grime that are features of this kind of use.
There's a chance that in three or four years I'll be proven wrong, but today the fabric strikes me as an entirely inappropriate choice for lining a laptop's interior. I've seen many disgusting-looking Alcantara Type Covers for Surface Pro 4, and after regular usage, they just get dirty and grimy and are impossible to clean. The Alcantara used in the Surface Laptop is supposed to be better—more resistant to dirt, easier to wipe down—but I simply don't buy it.
Bad command or file name. Bad, bad command! Sit! Stay! Staaaay...
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OriginalGriff wrote: strikes me as an entirely inappropriate choice for lining a laptop's interior
Pretty much my thought too.
cheers
Chris Maunder
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Here is how I view them: Some people prefer a traditional laptop form factor, but still want the beautiful Surface screen and may not be as interested in using a pen (the Surface Laptop supports the pen, but doesn't come with it included.) If you haven't seen one in person, they're (IMO) pretty stinking sexy.
Also, for what it's worth: The wife approval rating has been a solid "holy crap I love this thing." 
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I have the Surface Pro 4 with one of these keyboards/covers in teal. 1 year in and I'm still happy with it. Almost as clean as the day I got it. Fairly easy to wipe clean although you feel odd doing it.
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Yes, there are four members of my family with one and I've got a the Surface ergonomic desktop keyboard with the same alcantara material on the wrist rest. It holds up extremely well over time (my keyboard gets 14+ hours of use a day for the past year, looks brand new.) I've only had to wipe it down once because of me spilling soup all over it, the process on this page does this trick.
Alcantara is crazy durable and the Surface Laptops are (IMO) a solid contender. The i5 has no cooling fan so it's completely silent, they're blazing fast, light and thin. The one thing you need to be cautious of is that they're shipped with Windows 10 S, meaning you can't install any win32 apps outside of the Windows Store ... but it's a free upgrade to Pro so it's pretty moot.
Full disclosure: I'm a MS employee. I try to keep my opinion unjaded though, I really do think these are strong machines for the price. 
Jon
[edit: fixed this link, oops]
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How's battery life?
cheers
Chris Maunder
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Too early for me to know for certain and the folks in my family that have one are all extremely light users. Reviews I've seen out there look pretty solid, though. It's likely not a workhorse but for the common human I believe it'll serve very well for quite some time.
Jon
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I'm constantly at my desktop keyboard also. How long did it take you to get used to the ergonomic keyboards? I already had some 10+ years of working on standard computer keyboards before they came out, so I've always been very hesitant about an ergonomic learning curve. Also, how well do you do switching back to standard keyboards when you have to?
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I think it just took me a few hours to adjust, it wasn't too bad. I switch several times a week back to a traditional keyboard when I'm visiting customers with my Surface Book, and don't seem to find much issue -- I guess my brain has just finally adjusted and wired accordingly.
The only gripe I have with the ergonomic keyboard is the overall size. I'm in a tiny Manhattan apartment with a small desk and desktop space is at a premium. I've got the non-ergonomic keyboard w/ fingerprint arriving next week and will see how that goes.
Jon
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I checked at my job, the entire sales department use surface pro's with removable alcantara keyboards. They get about as dirty as normal keyboards, slightly more work to clean them though, but they're all very happy with them.
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Hmmm.
I'm wanting everyone to say "they are terrible, filthy, grotty things. Move on". It would make my life easier.
All I'm left with at this point is
a) Surface Laptop has poor battery life
b) Surface Laptop has no USB-C ports
c) Surface laptop is a nothing'th of an inch too long for my current laptop sleeve
Of course there's always "I just can't afford it", but that's why we have 2 kidneys, right?
cheers
Chris Maunder
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The plumber just got the new hto tank out of the van to bring up and it's the wrong elephant size!
Back in the van and off to the merchant for a new one, then he'll fit it [stiffles giggle] tonight.
In other news are toes supposed to be black?
veni bibi saltavi
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Nagy Vilmos wrote: are toes supposed to be black?
Only when they are too warm.
Bad command or file name. Bad, bad command! Sit! Stay! Staaaay...
AntiTwitter: @DalekDave is now a follower!
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Do witches communicate by hexting?
Bad command or file name. Bad, bad command! Sit! Stay! Staaaay...
AntiTwitter: @DalekDave is now a follower!
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NO! Do I need to spell it out for you?
Anything that is unrelated to elephants is irrelephant
Anonymous
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The problem with quotes on the internet is that you can never tell if they're genuine
Winston Churchill, 1944
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I'd just like a chance to prove that money can't make me happy.
Me, all the time
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It's nothing but voodoo communications.
If you have an important point to make, don't try to be subtle or clever. Use a pile driver. Hit the point once. Then come back and hit it again. Then hit it a third time - a tremendous whack.
--Winston Churchill
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They use text from the Cursers Graphics library - casting doubt on your premise. At this point, aren't you potion your luck a bit with these quips?
| Ravings en masse^ |
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| "The difference between genius and stupidity is that genius has its limits." - Albert Einstein | | "If you are searching for perfection in others, then you seek disappointment. If you are seek perfection in yourself, then you will find failure." - Balboos HaGadol Mar 2010 |
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Or maybe all they need is Corel Draw?
... such stuff as dreams are made on
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When shall we three meet again. In thunder, lightning, or in rain?
... such stuff as dreams are made on
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Ah, yes - The Scottish play! 
Anything that is unrelated to elephants is irrelephant
Anonymous
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The problem with quotes on the internet is that you can never tell if they're genuine
Winston Churchill, 1944
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I'd just like a chance to prove that money can't make me happy.
Me, all the time
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Or on SnapSpell? EyeBay?
Bad command or file name. Bad, bad command! Sit! Stay! Staaaay...
AntiTwitter: @DalekDave is now a follower!
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I can't do next Tuesday, I'm babysitting for our Shaun
veni bibi saltavi
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I can manage Friday. Hurry up with the tea, luv. I'm that parched.
Bad command or file name. Bad, bad command! Sit! Stay! Staaaay...
AntiTwitter: @DalekDave is now a follower!
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OriginalGriff wrote: tea gin, luv. I'm that parched.
FTFY.
... such stuff as dreams are made on
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