Keyboard

All keyboards are magnetically attached to the tablets. The keyboards of the Surface Pro 4, the Elite x2, Spectre x2 and the MateBook feature a backlight. Only the expensive i7 edition of the Alpha 12 comes with a keyboard light.

The Type Cover of the Surface features a sturdy case (plastic, low weight of 306 g/~11 oz), which hardly springs when typing. The key surfaces are smooth, comfortable and feel very high-end to the touch. The Type Cover supports two different positions - flat on a surface and slightly angled (via magnetic connection on the front side of the tablet) for better typing ergonomics. Both positions are comfortable and have specific advantages. The central part of the keyboard can be slightly depressed when it is used at an angle.

Acer's keyboard (370 g/13 oz, two positions) features a typing experience similar to that of the HP Spectre x2. However, the keys are not that slick. The stroke is firm with medium key travel. However, once again, this is only true when the keyboard is supported. The nonslip textile base for the hands, which is very similar to the Type Dock, is well-made. However, Microsoft's Cover is slightly more velvety.

The keys of the HP Spectre x2's aluminum dock (385 g/~13.6 oz) clatter loudly during typing. An angled typing position is also supported, but the stroke is spongy in this position. The surface is smooth, yet not slick. Overall, the keyboard appears very high-end and stable thanks to the aluminum palm rests.

The Elite x2's travel keyboard is very similar to that of the Spectre x2 in terms of typing experience. The surface is made of metal while the underside is made of a kind of felt. Differences: The keys are black and the touchpad is not that wide. The slim, slightly roughened keys feature a short travel and a crisp pressure point. HP offers two different sizes of the keyboard dock; with or without a Smartcard reader.

There are no gaps between the keys in the MateBook. However, thanks to a relatively long travel and a very crisp pressure point, fast typing is possible. Unfortunately, the keyboard area springs slightly due to a small cavity.

Winner: tie

Some users might not like the dense keys of the MateBook. Otherwise, the keyboards of the rivals are very similar in terms of feedback and typing speed.

Touchpad

The Surface Pro 4 and MateBook feature smooth surfaces, while these are slightly rougher in the HP and Switch Alpha. The Surface and HP generate the loudest click, while the Acer and Huawei produce a discreet, muffled clicking sound. The travel is very similar among the competitors. In terms of pressure point, the Alpha 12 does not trigger inputs as fast as the other touchpads. As a result, subjectively, it appears slower than its rivals.

Winner: MateBook and Type Cover

Pen

While the HP pens feature hard plastic tips, the Huawei's and Microsoft's come with soft rubber tips. Both variants are silent, but, the rubber tips glide slightly more sluggishly, which might be closer to writing on paper.

Every pen requires a battery (AAA), which can be removed. The MatePen features a fixed battery and a laser pointer, which can be charged via micro USB on the dock.

The pens differ from each other in terms of pressure levels. The Active Stylus features 256, the MatePen 2048 and the Surface Pen 1024. The HP models use 2048 pressure levels. We have not selected a winner, since we did not test each individual pen extensively.