I have been thinking alot in the V for last month , I was comparing it to many devices ( based on Specs and community talks ) , Things I like in V are many but most important are : new Sharp screen , Fanless design , Plenty of Ports ( especially TB3 ) , Fingerprint and RGB keyboard , but onething made me confused that I have never used 2 in 1 device with kickstand before and I read many users that complained of using their devices on lap ( some of them complained that it’s not comfortable to use it on your lap when sitting and some others complained of stability of device in this position with the kickstand being opened) , One day I was at Apple store and I watched the Ipad pro 12.9 with it’s smart keyboard and I tried it in many positions : on my lap when sitting and on desk. it 's amazing keyboard that really allows using it on your lap without any problems .
So why eve team don’t think about making keyboard RGB with precise glossy touchpad , similar to this smart design .
So when you attach this keyboard with your V device you will use it freely in any position , and you can make it optional instead of standard keyboard and little more price !
From a practical standpoint it is simply way to late in the process to make a change like this before the V’s are shipped. So any discussion on such a keyboard should understand that we would be talking about creating another keyboard for future sales, not current ones as the V keyboards have already been made. Furthermore, since the V will already be shipping with the keyboard (and even if you could swap out, V already has a kickstand), it would likely be almost impossible to get anyone to buy this new one.
On the conceptual side, could you elaborate on why you think this design is better? Most the time when people complain about lapability, it’s because the kickstand design adds length increasing amount of lap needed. From what I can see, this design does not alleviate that issue. I do agree with you about the track pad though, would be absolutely essential for any keyboard that’s part of a 2in1.
The key issue I’ve seen with the iPad Pro Smartcover (and other keyboards/covers of its ilk) is that they are very limited in that most have one (maybe two) angle(s) they can hold the tablet up in, while a kickstand like many of the 2-in-1s today have hinges that can support almost any position in a fairly large range.
I personally have also always felt like the tablet was going to fall/felt unstable when using something like the smartcover on my lap, while kickstand style setup feels stable but either too long or just less comfortable due to the isolated pressure points from the kickstand and edge of the tablet.
There is a Samsung galaxy book 2 in 1 that actually has the keyboard cover that you’ve described wanting for V. The difference though that I found with such setup is that IPads do not have trackpads and therefore a larger portion of the cover can be used behind the device for stability. When adding a trackpad in the mix I found that both the Samsung and Huawei devices were much less stable on the lap and on flat surfaces vs those devices that are like Surface, have a kickstand built in. Also remember that in Surface and V are true laptop replacement meant for daily 8+h use and you can prop keyboard angle up for much more comfort vs the iPad or Samsung flat setup.
If the situation shown in the picture is comfortable for you, you will love to work with a kickstand. Second option with the V is to place the V on the Table and work with the keyboard only on your lap per bluetooth… But this is discussed here thousands of times in this community. Feel free to use the search button before creating topic no 1001 to this problem…
Hey there! Glad to see you here with your suggestions
As people already pointed out, its unfortunately too late to make any changea and perhaps the changes proposed would not even add any benefit to you after all their trade offs.
Taking in to account, what people have said above, did you also remember the V keyboard is wireless with bluetooth capabilities?
This means that instead of having the whole device (and its weight) on your lap, you can just hold the keyboard on it!
Since many people suggested it, a folio cover increasing the lapability would maybe be possible though? Like this one by mozo that you showed us in one of the first videos concerning possible covers: https://mozoaccessories.com/product/black-golf-surface-pro34-folio/
I personally don’t need it, but that might be what many people are basically looking for without losing any of the V’s benefits.
Interesting, so this is essentially an additional cover to give more protection and reduce the “sharpness” of the kick stand on top of legs. The only thing I don’t like is the need to glue this on… I just hate the idea of this getting all messy due to my crap DIY skills!
Also, any reason why we need Eve to supply this? Would Mozo produce one anyway? (albeit a smaller market for the V vs the Surface Pros). I can’t remember the size difference between SP4 and V, but could the V just use the Mozo SP4 cover?
In the beginning of the first ideas about a possible cover for the V this was one of them that was tested by Eve and Mozo, but it didn’t fit perfectly. I’m not sure, if it was a bit too large or too small. But we’d need something designed specifically for the V. And I share your resentments about the gluing. Not a big fan of that either, but I don’t know how to do it differently.
It’s not really a good idea, for this case at least. You have to glue it on and since the back of the V acts as a heat sink, I would imagine it wouldn’t be great for heat dissipation.
I’m temporarily using an SP4 as my first 2in1 experience and I have to say it has no lapability problem. In fact I am preferring the variable kickstand approach over my older iPad with typing cover and preferring it to my Macbook Pro which is too hot and heavy to want on my lap for too long.
We have a fairly extensive thread somewhere about folio case design. I drew up a concept ages ago and the great community expanded on it. We think we found a way to not only have it removable, but also not impact heat dissipation. I’m just heading out, but maybe someone can find the thread and link to it?
I have extensive experience with the lapability of the 2-in-1 form factor, as I own and extensively used the Surface 3, and briefly owned and used the Surface 4 Pro, and own and extensively now use the Lenovo Miix 700.
Seriously, many hours at this.
I find that the form factor containing the kickstand in the same manner as Surface and Lenovo Miix – and the Eve – is surprisingly very lapable for a couple of reasons:
With the kickstand being able to be adjusted to most any angle, you can adjust it so that its held by digging (gently) into your leg.
With the keyboards covers being softer and more flexible, you can either keep it straight or angle it into any direction which is good for making adjustments.
It’s a toss-up really whether a full shell laptop or the 2-in-1 with kickstand is better on the lap because while the laptop is a more rigid structure, it heats up much quicker and you don’t get as much flexibility in the keyboard that you do in your lap with the keyboard cover.
Also, I think the kickstand is actually better than having a more rigid flat underneath surface for lapability because it’s less likely to slide off your lap because it’s got the resistance of the kickstand edges that slow down any sliding.
The kickstand requires extra space on your lap. That pushes the keyboard closer to your body, to a very uncomfortable position. Bad.
If the kickstand slides behind your knee, the device wil instantly fall down. A laptop would just start to slightly wobble, and only fall down if you push it even further.
If you’re using it with a keyboard, you will have a hard time catching it when it falls.
So, nope. It’s not usable on the lap at all.
Laptops have the resistance of the whole bottom, not only a small edge. And they’re way more stable. Try putting a plank on uneven ground, and a chair. Since the ground is uneven (as is your lap), the plank will be way more stable.
I have the Surface Pro (2017) and use it on a daily basis. I actually find it surprisingly lapable and have had no problem with discomfort while using it on my lap. I definitely don’t find it to be as comfortable as a traditional laptop on the lap but even for extended periods of time I haven’t had a problem. But having said that, to each their own as comfort is quite subjective.
