Microsoft Surface 2 (32 GB)

Let me start by saying this is a wonderful little device. That however, is contingent on you knowing what you're buying, which for my review, needs some context. Let me say this though: if all you want to do is listen to music, watch videos, use internet and use MS Office, there is no better machine than this. For context, I bought a Surface RT, the 1st gen (I'll call it S1 from now on), when they were mega cheap. Functionally it's exactly the same as Surface 2, just noticeably slower. The screen was fine, speakers were fine, performance was acceptable, battery life was great, touch keyboard was... passable. That was 2013. Now in fall 2014 the Surface 2 just got a %20 price cut which, to my eyes, made it competitively priced. So, what's changed from the Surface RT? The screen is much better, I didn't think 1080p would be that noticeable on such a small screen but it's certainly clearer. The fact that it's no longer the PLS screen from the S1 but it's now an IPS is quite noticeable to my eyes as the colors are super rich on the S2. The speakers are way, way better. I can't really explain this other than the fact that it sounds "fuller" as in with more volume, more 3D like, more real, less flat. It's thinner (not by much) and lighter (somewhat noticeable) than S1. I got a type cover, the one with actual clicky keys, which is a million times better than the touch cover if you write a lot like I do. If you don't, you can get by with the touch cover, but the type doesn't really add much thickness to the whole thing and it's way, way more useful and functional. So, the S2 is just a much better S1 in all respects. The end question is the same that applied to S1: is this device right for you? Well as I said in the beginning, if you want this thing to listen to music, watch videos, use internet and use MS Office - write on Word, calculate spreadsheets on Excel and do Powerpoint presentations - then this machine is perfect. I teach at a public state university and it's all I use to teach, grade, present and do my own research when I'm at work. If you want any desktop apps (Photoshop, Acrobat, etc) then you need an actual full PC, not the tablet hybrid that is the non-pro Surface. I have a great desktop PC at home so the Surface was enough for me, if you don't have a powerful PC at home you may be better served by the Surface Pro than just the Surface. Also, keep in mind that come Spring 2015 Microsoft will be combining Windows versions into a hybrid that adapts to whatever screen/hardware combination it's installed on, so things will change. The version of Office on the Surface will undoubtedly change to their new, as yet unrevealed mobile version (kind of like Office for iPad but more powerful) since they will eliminate the desktop on the Surface (you don't really need it right now, it doesn't make much sense, that's why it's going away). So I guess this is another way to look at it: if all the Windows Store apps work for you, you're fine with the Surface, but if you'll require desktop apps in the future, you should get a Surface Pro. Remember though, even though Office is a desktop app right now it's being ported to a Windows Store app with the same functionality, just not requiring a desktop (and not having a desktop whould improve battery life a LOT too). So that's my review. Excellent machine if it fits your needs. Make sure you know what you're buying. This is a tablet just like the iPad and allows some serious work with Office. This is not a laptop, so don't expect to use desktop apps (except Office). Just like you don't buy an iPad to run Mac programs, you don't buy a Surface to use desktop apps. For that, there's a Surface Pro.

I bought the Microsoft Surface 2 (32 GB) in August 2015. Before buying this tablet I did some research on it and talked to a friend who owns this tablet. From what I found out, I decided it would be a tablet worth buying. Overall I am very satisfied with this product and would give it a four star rating. I would definitely recommend it to others, especially college students because it is great for note-taking and simple computer uses. Through using this tablet for a couple months I have found many aspects that I like and a few that I am unhappy with. Features I like: 1. The tablet has a wide screen and is light weight. It also includes a kickstand that makes it easier for viewing and includes both portrait and landscape views. 2. Microsoft Office bundle (Excel, Word, Outlook, PowerPoint, Access, and OneNote) is already installed on the tablet, so there was no need to purchase this separately. 3. It was fairly priced and was also delivered on time. 4. A USB port can be found on the tablet, which is one feature not included on the iPad. This is great to plug a mouse or keyboard into. 5. The battery life is long lasting. 6. There is a handwriting recognition feature that allows you to use a finger or a stylus. It can read both block and cursive writing. While I found this table to be mostly what I was looking for, I discovered some aspects that I do not like or that I think could be improved. Things I do not like: 1. This tablet is Windows RT, which is fairly limited. It restricts you from downloading certain apps like Google Chrome or Spotify. 2. Keyboard and other accessories are not included with the tablet. 3. The storage is limited but, additional storage is available for purchase. One suggestion I have would be to purchase a keyboard along with the tablet. A keyboard makes the tablet more usable and more like a computer. I purchased the Microsoft Surface type cover 2, which was decently priced and works very well. Overall this tablet was worth the purchase and I would recommend it to anyone who is looking for a tablet.

I was well aware of the limitations of Windows 8.1 RT with no further upgrades and just security/bug fixes. Just wanted a good mail client (has Outlook 2013 installed by default as well as the rest of the MS Office suite) and a good touch screen browser Mobile IE (I hate MS Edge). For a used item it arrived in immaculate condition with 64GB storage and LTE functionality as an added bonus. Item is well built with a gorgeous display. The only big issue I found is with Windows Updates - it will not find any updates at all unless you download and manually install two packages first. All explained in XDA Developers forum thread: [GUIDE] [SOLUTION] Windows update stuck at "Checking updates...". After doing so it found over 220 updates and has been fine with updates since.

This item has everything that I wanted. It met my expectations. It is very easy to carry around and easy to use.

I bought this right before the Surface 3 came out in the news, thinking that the Surface line was being discontinued so I might as well get it before it was gone! The Surface 2 is a great tablet though, and most importantly it is amazing if you want a tablet that does "real work" as opposed to just media consumption (ie. you want to be able to open/use Office on it, in addition to also using it for on-the-go email). It is a semi-laptop replacement in that, with the keyboard, you can be very productive with just using the Surface 2 to work. A lot of the Microsoft functions integrate very well with each other, and it is useful being able to switch between the Desktop view (for when you are doing actual work) and the tablet view (which is good for, say, watching a video on your couch). However, if you are looking for lots of apps, the Surface 2 is probably not for you as the app store is very limited compared to what iOS or Android offers; what apps there are are usually not as easy to use or have their kinks ironed out.

The tablet is exactly as described. It works fine and is slightly superior to the original MS Surface we owned; inc more disk space. My only irritation is it took almost 7 days to arrive from me placing the order. Which is very slow. That means I won't be giving an excellent rating. Thank you. Mr Kennedy

Exactly what I needed for work, now I am able to have all my office documents to hand at all times.