So, I'm the proud owner of a Surface Duo - the original one. When my beloved wife bought one for me, I wasn't sure what I was going to do with it.
I already had a phone I was happy with, and I didn't quite now what to make of it.
It turns out I've been using it quite a bit in 2023, and so now that I'm finally using it on a regular basis, I thought I'd share what I like about it and what I do with it.
- The display is very nice. The double screens don't get used simultaneously a lot, although the combination of browser and One Note is pretty great.
- The keyboard is a bit clunky but swiping works best for me most of the time.
- The hinge being fully open only works for me for short spans of time. It's much more comfortable to me to use it with one hand rather than with both screens at the same time. The only exception might be browsing through OneNote with the tabs on one side and content on the other, or doing a web search quickly while doing something else.
- YouTube and YouTube Kids apps get used quite a bit. It turns out that one of the best things about the form factor is the ability to stand the device firmly.
- Xbox Game Pass also saw a nice bit of usage. You can pair a controller, use headphones if you need to, and stand the thing at the right angle on any surface, and with a decent connection that can be quite fun.
- OneNote and Kindle get a bunch of usage as well, one for quick notes, the other just to read - like I mentioned, the display is quite nice.
And of course, just like with YouTube Kids, things like Disney+ can also keep the kids entertained, and because of the tent mode, I don't need to rely on them holding it steady and can put it in a position where I can watch, or they share, or they can keep a drink out of the way.
I'm sure there are other good uses, but in any case, that's what I ended up finding useful in practice.
Happy gadget use!
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