One snowy February Saturday morning. After about a month of telling myself that I did not need the upgrade from the original Surface RT to the new Surface 2, I gave up. Hey, one needs some cheer during the dreary winters, right? Not that I was unhappy with my original Surface; it was still serving me ok after more than a year of rough use. But the new Surface 2 with all its bells & whistles just seemed irresistible.

PS: For folks like me who desperately try to “justify” the near constant tech gadget crave or the precious device upgrade, BestBuy now seems to have a permanent device trade-in policy (details HERE). The original Surface in good condition, for example, would fetch you a decent $75. Otherwise, there is always Craigslist or eBay that might get you a bit more in consolation.

So, out with the old & in with the new shiny toy. Here are 7 things I absolutely dig about the Surface 2:

• The screen resolution – this thing alone more than justifies the upgrade. Folks with the Surface Pro know this already, but I’m coming from a paltry 1366×768 resolution on the Surface RT. The Surface 2’s full 1080P 1920×1080 resolution is ridiculously high for a screen that small. The result – more real estate for tiles/desktop & everything is super crisp. Running 3 apps side by side is actually practical & useful. Make sure to follow the steps in Scott Hanselman’s post HERE to get the most of your pixels.
• The Tegra 4 processor shows its mettle. Almost every app or interaction feels much zippier compared to the somewhat sluggish original Surface RT.
• I have a generation 1 Surface Type & Touch cover each. Glad that these work seamlessly with the Surface 2 – no new accessories needed.
• The kickstand going back a second step is very welcome, especially during long flights or when on lap. I remember Jeff Blankenburg & I unboxing the original Surface RT & wishing the kickstand went a little further back – well, now you have it!
• The magnetic power adapter stills thinks twice before snapping in place, but is way better than the finicky one that came with the original Surface.
• Battery life – I’m getting 10/11 + hours easy with normal multimedia usage. Let’s just say this is more than handy. Unless I need to fire up Visual Studio, I can get some good productive work done on this baby, all the while the games being just a tap away.
• The extra OneDrive space & Skype World credits don’t hurt at all 🙂 .

So, if you can spare the extra money, stop thinking & get the upgrade. I’m not repenting ..

Adios!