You don't spend any time looking at it from that angle when you're using it, but the stand and cover make it just as usable as a real laptop as long as you've got a tabletop. I'm able to type as fast/accurate on my RT with the Type Cover as I can on my MacBook Air.

Unfortunately I don't think there is enough mass in the keyboard to allow for any amount of stiffness make a difference.

This is a feature of this particular device. Keyboard doubling as stands are offered by other OEMs.