This post was sponsored by Microsoft. All opinions are our own.
These days, pretty much everyone takes notes electronically. Gone are the days of pencil and paper (for the most part), as we usually take our laptops or tablets to class to type out the most important points of a lecture. However, it’s pretty annoying to haul a laptop around all day, so we at Her Campus set out to see if we could find a tablet that works for note-taking so we can finally leave our laptops at home.
We got a hold of two devices: a Surface 2 and an iPad Air. After testing both tablets, we named Microsoft’s Surface 2 the winner! While both were great at everything you’d expect to do on a tablet (e.g. watching movies, playing games, surfing the Internet, etc.), the Surface 2 went above and beyond by doubling as a mini laptop for taking notes in class. Here are a few reasons why.
1. You can get a cover that doubles as a full-sized keyboard
With a Surface, you can get a cover that clicks right into the tablet and doubles as a full-sized keyboard. Not only does it help your screen stay protected, but it also makes it super easy to take notes in class! Just prop up the screen with the built-in stand and unfold the cover to type like you would on a laptop. Our Surface has an adorable purple keyboard, but the covers also come in blue, pink and gray. No matter which hue you choose, you’re bound to have the most stylish keyboard in class.
2. Microsoft Office RT is included for free
One of the greatest parts about the Surface is that it comes with Microsoft Office RT (Microsoft Office for tablets) already installed for free. If Word isn’t your thing, you can also use OneNote, which is Microsoft’s note-taking app that is, in a word, awesome. With OneNote, it’s easy to format and add sections to your notes, and you can make a tab for each of your classes. You can even go into “draw” mode and use your finger to write directly onto the screen.
3. Its split-screen feature
Say you’re taking notes in class and your professor says a word that you’re not quite sure the meaning of. Instead of switching screens, Googling, losing your place and then falling behind in lecture, you can use the split-screen feature on the Surface 2 to look things up while still taking notes. On the iPad, you can only use one app at a time, but with the Surface, multitasking becomes super simple. This multitasking feature works for any app, like Facebook, Netflix, Tumblr, Skype, Twitter, Snapchat, etc.
Basically, we’re obsessed with the Surface 2. We’ll definitely be using it to take notes (and watch movies) for a long time!