Seven months on how do I find the Surface 2? I’m still happy with it. The bugs I had with the screen seem to have gone. I’m guessing since others have commented on the problem it must be a software glitch, not an issue with just my unit, so it could have been fixed through a software update. It only came back once when I put a screen protector back on, but since that’s been gone so has the problem.
Keyboards: Well I still use both the Touch and the Type covers, AND a stylus!
- If I’m going into a meeting where I’m going to have to do a fair bit of typing, or going into a situation where there’s a chance of this, I’ll usually connect the Type cover – it definitely is easier to type accurately from a cold start.
- If I’m really just looking to have the screen protected in transit or between meetings I’ll put on the Touch cover. That means the device is thinner, lighter and protected, and if I need to type something I’m quite able to do so.
- If I’m going to be walking around a lot taking notes, e.g. doing workplace inspections or checking off action items, I’ll often take the stylus. Holding the device with one hand, it’s pretty hard to use either keyboard so having handwriting input built into Windows 8 means I can hold the tablet with one hand and write on it with the other. In this scenario minimal weight is the key so I normally choose the Touch cover for protection in transit, which also gives it a surface to lay it down on so as to not damage the schmick VaporMg skin!
Probably the biggest revelation has actually be OneNote, which with the Surface and OneDrive storage runs on steroids! This would have to be one of the most under-promoted applications out there. It’s almost completely replaced Notepad for me and has become the repository for most of the information I generate – meeting notes, wiring diagrams, sketches and so on. My only negative on the suite would be that OneDrive doesn’t seem to sync as instantly as Dropbox.
There are probably a few other little things about the whole setup that niggle me, but none that come immediately to mind. The Surface 2 is ticking all the boxes I hoped it would and few of the ones I didn’t expect it to. I therefore presume those who are disappointed with this device didn’t do their homework properly on what it is and isn’t. But for what it is, it’s great!