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 this just because I wanted to use office in anytime & read ebooks with a bigger device. So far, it's so good. The design is good, the weight is light and really useful. It will definitely be one of my daily use devices.I used half of the storage in a day though... I can use SD card so I guess no problem. The screen size is big enough as well.As someone said, iPad is just a junk(no office, I have PC so I do have something to see movies), and Kindle is just a reader. This is worth the price as long as you need office. You can make documents even in the train. I am so excited!I heard this device is probably going to be the last surface office installed. and actually, it is discontinued! So if you miss this one, you will need to buy office 365 every single year.(office365 is good if you always need the latest office but not wallet-friendly) If you want an office installed latest device, this is the one n the last one(probably. as i went to the store, there's no office installed surface anymore since MS wants more money.) and once it is gone, you cannot buy the brand new one. It is getting like a sales talk(I'm not paid by MS) but I truly loved this and recommend!!!!The biggest surprise that I didn't expect is, "OneNote". This is the reason I believe MS will win within a few years. This app is the best for taking notes because it allows you to type, draw something using your fingers, insert some pictures & graphs and record voice or movies...! It is the best for students, even workers. This is the new style of "notebook" but much easier to see(because my handwriting is pretty bad).Of course, as you see in commercial, you can do 2 things at the same time. I browse Internet, and if it takes longer to open, immediately open twitter or different app not to waste time.Only 2 cons. 1st, "few apps" but that's ok for me since I just wanted Kindle & office. If you just want to enjoy games, don't buy this! It might be not for you. 2nd, reading list requires Internet access... As an iPhone user, this is a bit annoying feature of MS products. I take a screenshot, then read offline.