Back during the launch of the Surface 2 and Surface Pro 2 in 2013, Microsoft showed off what was to be the first in a line of accessories, called blades, for the Surface family. Called the Surface Music Kit, the blade would take the spot of the keyboard on a Surface device and give access to touch sliders and buttons to help with music creation and remixes.
It was a cool idea, to be sure, but it was one that never made its way to store shelves. Some did find their way into the wild, however, and now you can grab one for $11.99 on eBay (via Reddit).
The Music Kit blade pairs with a dedicated Music Kit app that is supposed to install and open automatically when the blade is attached. From there, the app, combined with the 16 keys and sliders on the blade, let you do things like loop and mute tracks with a tap. The keys are also pressure sensitive, so you can do some pretty unique things from within the software.
The Surface Music Kit was only ever given out as a sort of limited edition release as part of a Vine contest. Unfortunately, it seems Microsoft may have determined the demand wasn't there for a full release. It would have been interesting to see what other types of blades Microsoft would have cooked up had the Music Kit seen success.
As with all things of this nature, it's worth being cautious here. But if you're into relatively rare Microsoft products, you can grab the Surface Music kit for $11.99 on eBay now. Just be aware that the blade will only officially work with the Surface Pro (original), Surface 2, and Surface Pro 2.
