The

Microsoft Surface Microsoft Surface is a series of touchscreen-based personal computers, tablets and interactive whiteboards designed and developed by Microsoft, running the Microsoft Windows operating system, apart from the Surface Duo, which runs on Android ...

touchscreen A touchscreen or touch screen is the assembly of both an input ('touch panel') and output ('display') device. The touch panel is normally layered on the top of an electronic visual display of an information processing system. The display is often ...

Windows Windows is a group of several proprietary graphical operating system families developed and marketed by Microsoft. Each family caters to a certain sector of the computing industry. For example, Windows NT for consumers, Windows Server for serv ...

computers A computer is a machine that can be programmed to carry out sequences of arithmetic or logical operations (computation) automatically. Modern digital electronic computers can perform generic sets of operations known as programs. These programs ...

and

interactive whiteboard An interactive whiteboard (IWB), also known as interactive board or smart board, is a large interactive display board in the form factor of a whiteboard. It can either be a standalone touchscreen computer used independently to perform tasks ...

s designed and developed by

Microsoft Microsoft Corporation is an American multinational technology corporation producing computer software, consumer electronics, personal computers, and related services headquartered at the Microsoft Redmond campus located in Redmond, Washing ...

. Since its release in 2012, there have been various Surface accessories over the years. Most prominently, are the Surface keyboard covers and the

Surface Pen The Surface Pen is an active stylus and digital pen developed by Microsoft for its series of Surface computing devices. It is designed to showcase the pen computing capabilities of Microsoft's Windows 8/8.1 and Windows 10 operating systems. Fir ...

, which were both introduced at launch. While the keyboard covers have all been sold independently of the Surface devices, the initial release of the

Surface A surface, as the term is most generally used, is the outermost or uppermost layer of a physical object or space. It is the portion or region of the object that can first be perceived by an observer using the senses of sight and touch, and is t ...

and

Surface Pro The Surface Pro is a first generation 2-in-1 detachable of the Microsoft Surface series, designed and manufactured by Microsoft. The device ran a 64-bit version of Windows 8 Pro operating system with a free upgrade possibility to Windows 8.1 Pr ...

had bundle options, which bundled the black Touch Cover. The

has been included with all Surface line and

line devices up until the release of the fifth-generation Surface Pro, where Microsoft decided to unbundle the

Accessories

Surface Touch Cover

The original touch cover came with 80 touch sensors and was pressure sensitive. With the release of the Surface 2 a Touch Cover 2 was announced which increased the number of sensors to 1,092 and added backlit keys while being thinner than the original Touch Cover. In addition, the Touch Cover 2 also supported key gestures and was backwards compatible with the first generation Surface devices. Microsoft never made another Touch Cover after the release of the Surface Pro 3. It is compatible with the

Surface 2 Surface 2 is a Surface-series Windows RT hybrid tablet computer created by Microsoft. It was unveiled on September 23, 2013, and released on October 22, 2013 and is the successor to the original Surface. As of January 2015, Microsoft no long ...

Type Cover

With the release of the first generation

, Microsoft launched the Type Cover which has tactile keys. It was upgraded along with the second generation Surfaces to the Type Cover 2 which substituted the plastic material for the felt-like material found on the Type Covers. The Type Cover 2 is thinner and features back-lit keys. With the release of the

Surface Pro 3 The Surface Pro 3 is the third-generation Surface-series 2-in-1 detachable, designed, developed, marketed, and produced by Microsoft. It originally ran the Windows 8.1 Pro operating system (OS), but the optional upgrade to Windows 10 Pro (OS) op ...

, a newer cover called the Surface Pro 3 Type Cover was released to fit the bigger screen. The

Type Cover features a second magnetized strip that can be rested against the screen to prop the keyboard up at an angle. The

Type Cover has a touchpad with glass beads replacing the felt-like material used in previous generations. When the Surface 3 was announced, a smaller version, the Surface 3 Type Cover was released. Both Surface 3 and Pro 3 Type Covers have a loop to house the

. On October 6, 2015, Microsoft updated the Surface Pro Type Cover with a new teal color in addition to the existing black, red, blue, and bright blue colors. Also introduced was a function lock light, separated keys, and a 40% larger touchpad than previous models. A " Fingerprint ID" version was also announced but is only available in the color black. Both are backwards compatible with the Surface Pro 3, though both are designed for the Surface Pro 4. A Signature Type Cover designed out of grey

Alcantara Alcantara, Alcântara (Portuguese), Alcántara (Spanish), Alcàntara, Alcàntera, El-Qantarah and (El) Kantara are all transliterations of the Arabic word ''al qantara'' (القنطرة), meaning "the bridge". Alcantara may refer to: People * A ...

was announced on April 12, 2016. With the launch of the fifth-generation Surface Pro, Microsoft expanded the Surface Pro Signature Type Cover line to include burgundy, cobalt blue, and platinum with a release date of June 15, 2017. ,

Surface Pro 4 The Surface Pro 4 is the fourth-generation Surface-series 2-in-1 detachable, designed, developed, marketed, and produced by Microsoft. The Surface Pro 4 was announced on October 6, 2015 alongside the Surface Book. In the U.S. and Canada, the Su ...

Surface Pro (5th generation) The fifth-generation Surface Pro (marketed as the Surface Pro, colloquially referred to as the Surface Pro 2017 or Surface Pro 5) is a Surface-series 2-in-1 detachable hybrid notebook computer, designed, developed, marketed, and produced by Mic ...

Surface Pro 6

Power Cover

A Power Cover, introduced alongside the

Surface Pro 2 The Surface Pro 2 is a Surface-series 2-in-1 detachable produced by Microsoft. Unveiled at an event in New York City on September 23, 2013 and released on October 22, 2013, it succeeds the Surface Pro released in February 2013. While maintaini ...

, is a non back-lit Type Cover with a built-in battery to extend the Surface's battery life. It is compatible with the Surface Pro and later, due to the additional pins required on the Surface spine. A Wireless Adapter for the keyboards, called the Wireless Adapter for Typing Covers, was also manufactured so that the keyboards can be used at a distance. It was introduced on September, 2013 and has been discontinued on March 26, 2014.

Surface Keyboard

In 2018, Microsoft launched the Surface Keyboard alongside the Surface Mouse, which is compatible with any Bluetooth enabled device

Surface Mouse

Two mice have also been released for the Surface including the Wedge Touch and Arc Touch mice. On July 10, 2018, Microsoft launched the Surface Mouse alongside the Surface Keyboard. It is compatible with any Bluetooth-enabled device.

Surface Pen

Most Surface tablets have an

active pen An active pen (also referred to as active stylus) is an input device that includes electronic components and allows users to write directly onto the display of a computing device such as a smartphone, tablet computer or ultrabook. The active pen ...

that allows users to write directly onto the screen of the tablet. The ''

'' for the Surface Pro and Surface Pro 2 use

Wacom () is a Japanese company headquartered in Kazo, Saitama, Japan, that specializes in manufacturing graphics tablets and related products. Headquarters locations The main headquarters are located in Kazo, Saitama, Japan. Its office in the USA ...

technology, while its successor released alongside the

and newer devices use that of

N-trig The Surface Pen is an active stylus and digital pen developed by Microsoft for its series of Surface computing devices. It is designed to showcase the pen computing capabilities of Microsoft's Windows 8/8.1 and Windows 10 operating systems. Fir ...

, which has since been acquired by Microsoft. The

was specifically designed to minimize latency (lag time), eliminate

parallax Parallax is a displacement or difference in the apparent position of an object viewed along two different lines of sight and is measured by the angle or semi-angle of inclination between those two lines. Due to foreshortening, nearby objects ...

issues, which occur when the point where the tip touches the screen does not match up with the spot where the ink actually appears on the device, and provide a more natural-feeling 'pen-on-paper' user experience. The Surface also features palm rejection which allows the user to rest his or her palm on the screen while using the

without triggering an unwanted input. It is compatible with any Bluetooth-enabled device.

Surface Dock

There are various ''Docking Stations'' for different

Surface Laptop Microsoft Surface logo

The Surface Laptop is a line of laptops ...

devices, which are optional non-included accessories. They each extend the Surface with a number of USB ports, additional audio sockets, a Gigabit Ethernet port and a Mini DisplayPort to connect external displays. ;Surface Pro 4 With the announcement of the

and

Surface Book The Surface Book is a 2-in-1 PC designed and produced by Microsoft, part of the company's Surface line of personal computing devices. Surface Book is distinguished from other Surface devices primarily by its full-sized, detachable keyboard, whi ...

, Microsoft revealed a new ''Surface Dock'' accessory in the brick form factor which is compatible with the aforementioned devices and the

. This new docking accessory connects to the proprietary 40-pin side port which got the new name'' Surface Connect''. A Microsoft Garage incubator team designed ergonomic VESA-mounted portrait docking stations as part of the Company hackathon, released a YouTube demo video, open-source plans on GitHub, and made ready-to-use kits available on a web store. ;USB-C Adapter In addition to the Surface Dock, Microsoft has released a USB-C adapter that allows the Surface Pro and Surface Laptop to use generic USB-C docking stations. The adapter supports USB 3, Display Port alternate mode, and charging via USB Power Delivery. Charging requires USB power sources that output 12V, 15V, or 20V. Most cell phone and tablet chargers do not support these voltage levels and cannot charge Surface devices using this adapter.

Surface Dial

With the introduction of the Surface Studio on 26 October 2016, Microsoft announced a new type of computing device called the Surface Dial. The promoted Surface Dial's purpose is to be used to control functions that artists might find useful, such as pen color or thickness. The Surface Dial is set with standard commands that can be used without being program or app specific. These commands include toggling sound volume, scrolling, zooming, brightness, and undo/redo. However, an app developer can customize the wheel's abilities, when developing apps. Some third-party applications that were included in the Surface Dial launch include Drawboard PDF, Sketchable, StaffPad and Mental Canvas Player. The Surface Dial works on the screen of the Surface Studio, Surface Book 2 and Surface Pro 2017 and off-screen with other Windows 10 devices (that support Bluetooth 4.0 LE) as well including the

and

. Microsoft's

Terry Myerson Terry Myerson (born 1972 or 1973) is an American venture partner at Madrona Venture Group and an operating executive at The Carlyle Group. Myerson was previously an Executive Vice President at Microsoft, and head of its Windows and Devices Group. ...

told

Engadget ''Engadget'' ( ) is a multilingual technology blog network with daily coverage of gadgets and consumer electronics. ''Engadget'' manages ten blogs four of which are written in English and six have international versions with independent editori ...

that a firmware update will be released in early-2017 for the

and

that will allow the on-screen functions to work with those devices.

Surface Dial The Microsoft Surface touchscreen Microsoft Windows, Windows Personal computer, computers and interactive whiteboards designed and developed by Microsoft. Since its release in 2012, there have been various Surface accessories over the years. Mos ...

, like the

, utilize non-rechargeable batteries, though the Dial requires the two included AAA alkaline batteries, and the Surface Pen requires a single AAAA battery. Surface Dial requires the

Windows 10 Windows 10 is a major release of Microsoft's Windows NT operating system. It is the direct successor to Windows 8.1, which was released nearly two years earlier. It was released to manufacturing on July 15, 2015, and later to retail on J ...

"Anniversary Update" in order to function. The ''Dial'' is compatible with the

Surface Studio The Surface Studio is an all-in-one PC, designed and produced by Microsoft as part of its Surface series of Windows-based personal computing devices. It was announced at the Windows 10 Devices Event on October 26, 2016, with pre-orders begin ...

Surface Pro (2017) The fifth-generation Surface Pro (marketed as the Surface Pro, colloquially referred to as the Surface Pro 2017 or Surface Pro 5) is a Surface-series 2-in-1 detachable hybrid notebook computer, designed, developed, marketed, and produced by Micr ...

, and

Surface Book 2 The Surface Book 2 is the second generation of the Surface Book, part of the Microsoft Surface line of personal computers. It is a 2-in-1 PC which can be used like a conventional laptop, or the screen can be detached and used separately as a tab ...

Surface Headphones

On October 2, 2018, Microsoft unveiled

Bluetooth Bluetooth is a short-range wireless technology standard that is used for exchanging data between fixed and mobile devices over short distances and building personal area networks (PANs). In the most widely used mode, transmission power is limi ...

-compatible Surface Headphones alongside the Surface Pro 6,

Surface Laptop 2 The Surface Laptop 2 is a Microsoft Surface, Surface-series laptop produced by Microsoft. Unveiled at an event in New York City on 2 October 2018, and alongside the Surface Pro 6 released on 16 October 2018, it succeeds the Surface Laptop, rel ...

and

Surface Studio 2 The Surface Studio 2 is an all-in-one PC, designed and produced by Microsoft as part of its Surface series of Windows-based personal computing devices. It was announced at the Windows 10 Devices Event on October 2, 2018, two years after the ...

. The noise-cancelling

headphones feature Cortana integration and four beam-forming microphones. On August 15, 2020, Microsoft introduced Surface Headphones 2, compatible with

and Windows 11 Home/Pro with the latest updates. It's also compatible with Bluetooth 4.1/4.2/5.0, IOS 12 or 13, Android 9 or 10.

Surface Earbuds

Microsoft released wireless earbuds in 2019 that feature a "dish-looking apparatus" on the outside for touch interactions. The earbuds can also live transcribe a

PowerPoint Microsoft PowerPoint is a presentation program, created by Robert Gaskins and Dennis Austin at a software company named Forethought, Inc. It was released on April 20, 1987, initially for Macintosh computers only. Microsoft acquired PowerPoi ...

presentation from a connected computer. Like the aforementioned headphones, these are compatible to Bluetooth.

Other accessories

There are many other accessories for the Microsoft Surface. Among these is the Microsoft Wireless Display Adapter for Miracast display mirroring. Microsoft launched a Surface HD Digital A/V Adapter which works with micro-HDMI to HDMI for the Surface and Surface 2, and a Surface VGA adapter which also works with Surface and Surface 2 going from the built-in micro-HDMI to VGA. For the Surface Pro series, a Display Port to HD A/V (HDMI) and a Display Port to VGA adapter was created. For the first generation Surface, a 32 watt power supply was included, which was upgraded with the Surface 2 to feature a larger indicator light to show the Surface was charging. The Surface Pro and Pro 2 feature a 48 watt power supply with a USB (power only) port on the charging brick. As with the Surface 2's power supply, the Pro 2's power supply features a larger indicator light. Microsoft redesigned the power supply for the Surface Pro 3 with a new "fin" connector and a 36 watt rating. The Surface 3 launched with another redesigned power supply using a micro-USB connector and having a 13 watt rating. Two Ethernet adapters have been released to work with the Surface Pro line including the Ethernet Adapter for USB 2.0 with a speed rating of 100 Mbit/s and a Surface Ethernet Adapter for USB 3.0 with a speed of 1 Gbit/s.

References

External links

* * {{Microsoft, state=collapsed Microsoft Surface Surface accessories Microsoft