> I could totally go without the type cover if I wanted to because I just don't travel much.
But also because you have another keyboard and don't mind forking over money for a docking station or plugging in. You're replacing the type cover with another keyboard, but that's still something you had to buy.
> when the Surface Pro 4 comes out, I will not buy the type cover and take the savings instead
Microsoft has announced that the SP3 type cover will be compatible with the next Pro model, so you wouldn't have to at any rate :D
> In any case, I really, really disagree that Microsoft is being sleazy by offering a choice.
I agree with you, but I don't think they're offering the choice you think they are[1]. They bill it as "The Tablet That Can Replace Your Laptop," right above a picture of the products with the type cover on them. The intended use-case clearly involves the type cover.
> "The Tablet That Can Replace Your Laptop,"...the intended use case.
So, what is your point here? That they should always bundle the keyboard so that users like me have to pay $100 more every single time? I don't understand what your complaint is or what you think Microsoft is doing wrong.
From the reddit comment that you linked to from the Surface Team:
> "... and some people definitely wanted to buy without cover."
That's going to be me when I get the Surface Pro 4. I don't have a Surface Pro 3, so I don't already have a compatible Type Cover already.
If I buy one to replace my Dell Venue 8 Pro (which I use fully without a keyboard), I will not need a keyboard at all...and I still count it as a laptop replacement since I can (and do) everything that I could on a laptop by using the virtual keyboard. If buy one to replace my Surface Pro (1st gen), then I'm going to use a $30 full size keyboard when I'm sitting and the virtual keyboard when I'm walking around with it. So, I'm glad that they don't bundle the keyboard.
In any case, I just don't understand how anyone could possibly have a problem with this.
But also because you have another keyboard and don't mind forking over money for a docking station or plugging in. You're replacing the type cover with another keyboard, but that's still something you had to buy.
> when the Surface Pro 4 comes out, I will not buy the type cover and take the savings instead
Microsoft has announced that the SP3 type cover will be compatible with the next Pro model, so you wouldn't have to at any rate :D
> In any case, I really, really disagree that Microsoft is being sleazy by offering a choice.
I agree with you, but I don't think they're offering the choice you think they are[1]. They bill it as "The Tablet That Can Replace Your Laptop," right above a picture of the products with the type cover on them. The intended use-case clearly involves the type cover.
[1] http://www.reddit.com/r/IAmA/comments/26m9cu/we_are_panos_pa...
In case you don't want to follow the link: the choice is the color of the cover, not whether or not to have a cover.