Disappointed Surface 2 Was Not Like Apple iPad

But I am glad to have left the Apple cult with the Microsoft Surface 2

Getting a Microsoft Surface 2 tablet that works fast, uses the same apps as Windows 8.1 and Office 365 are more for me important than being able
to play Candy Crunch and other games.

Yesterday I went to Future Shop to get a shiny, new Microsoft Surface 2. It was the same day, October 22nd, that Apple announced new iPads so light they are called Air and screens so wonderful they are named after my Retina. I don’t get it. A faster, lighter, clearer tablet that will
not give me Office 365 is a waste of money.

At Future Shop, there were no line-ups. Nobody had slept in plastic bags on the streets of Broadway, while long legged party chicks looked  down with disdain. Check out the video for what I missed.

New Yorkers gaze at Apple 5s buyers sleeping on the street (Photo Casey Nestat)

No blue shirted store employees did a big hurrah, blew whistles or cheered me as I ran a gauntlet of back-slapping, high-fiving adherents in the strange cult of Apple technology.

I just walked into the store. “Hi, do you have the Surface 2?”

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“Ah, they’re not on display yet for demos,” said the easy-going store employee who didn’t blow a whistle or high-five me.

“Can I just buy one?” I asked and sure enough they had 5 or 6 of them. I felt pretty special because Staples had none and the Microsoft Store would not ship one for a week.

I picked a Surface 2 with 32GB or RAM and the HDMI connector for my TV. They didn’t have the new keyboards so passed on the $79 $129  original keyboard. I might go back tonight and get of those. Surface 2 keyboards with their backlight are backordered everywhere.

The smallish black box fit into my wheelchair bag and I took a cab home.

No one cheered as l left, like the Apple fun seekers in video of the New York City launch. Some of those people were paid to wait in line in NYC.

When I got home, I wanted to film the unboxing like they do on YouTube but it was too simple.

After opening the slip case and taking off the cellophane, I pushed the on button and the Surface 2 started to boot up. Afraid it might run out
of power, I touched the magnetic power connector to the side of the Surface 2 and it snapped into place.

I poured a glass of wine while the Surface 2 asked for my account login. It politely asked if I would like to bring along my apps and settings from the desktop. I said “yes”. A few minutes later while  I sipped my wine, I had a working Surface 2 with all my apps, logins and passwords already installed. The Surface 2 even had my grandson’s picture on the lock screen.

Not sure what to do next, I checked the Facebook app and it logged me in automatically. No one had noticed I left the house. I checked Twitter. It logged in automatically too.

This Surface 2 thing is too easy. Everything looks like my Window 8.1 desktops. The apps load just as fast as on my 3.3 GHz 6-core, 12 processor desktop. The screen is smaller. I might write Microsoft and complain, or not.

Looking for trouble I started Microsoft Outlook. I ran into a brick wall. Outlook wanted my password since Office 365 is ultra-secure and will not store passwords across machines.

No problem, I opened my secret, locked password file with Excel and pasted the password in place. You can do that with Office 365.

Surface 2, a tablet for people who use Windows 8.1 and Office

The next thing you know I was reading my junk mail in Outlook while the Surface 2 downloaded all my contacts, tasks, appointments and stored mail folders.

Eager to find something to complain about like the other reviewers, I checked out SkyDrive and there was a problem.

One file name in 100 GB exceeded the name limit of 256 characters. I had to open SkyDrive and change the file name. Then it started synchronizing SkyDrive with the Surface 2 and I could start looking at my files.

I sent my wife an email, “Guess what I did?:

“You bought a Surface I guess,” she replied. There is no surprising her.

Next week I will write a one-week-with-Surface 2 review. Don’t expect a lot of complaints. I like and use Windows 8.1. I also need Office 365 to do my job.

That’s what I want in a tablet and laptop. Even my phone, a Nokia Lumia 920, is Windows Phone 8. I like to keep it simple and that’s what Windows 8.1 does. Same interface, same Office 365, same apps.

Most of the people who review the Surface 2 for Engadget, CNN, CNET, and the other tech journals like Apple already and don’t use Office for productivity. Many of them are admitted Microsoft haters from Silicon Valley. They want Microsoft to make another iPad so they can compare it  to the Apple product.

Microsoft has a different audience which is mainly 90% of office and professionals who use Microsoft Office at work or home.

Windows 8.1 and the Surface 2 can be for fun but they are also the most efficient tools for work.