Microsoft has really hit it out of the park with the Surface 3 and Surface Pro 3 which have proven to be successful tablets aimed at the productivity minded user. Part and parcel of the experience have been the tablets that Microsoft sells with the devices. Building on that, the Applied Sciences division at Microsoft has built a prototype device that incorporates an e-ink touchscreen display into the keyboard cover.
The 1280 x 305 resolution display panel has been placed above the keyboard itself which ensures that the display can be used both to view important information and also be used easily via a stylus or direct touch. Suggested use cases include signing documents and scribbling notes. For real productivity though, we can see how Photoshop palettes can be placed here allowing quick access to oft used settings. The video demos a use case where you can have a Skype text chat alongside full screen video. There’s no doubt at all that such a display can find umpteen use cases depending on the industry that you work in. Microsoft states that e-ink was used because of the low battery draw that it entails. There’s currently no plan to bring this tablet cover to retail but we’d imagine that it will command a steep premium if and when it sees the light of day.
[Via – Engadget]