The Surface 2 kickstand answers some of the criticisms of the Surface RT. However, instead of being fully adjustable with separate angles, Microsoft has opted for only two angles. One is the ordinary laptop style, but the other feels more like an angle you'd want if you were resting it on your lap. That doesn't necessarily make the Surface 2 better to use on the lap, but it does improve things if you're willing to use the onscreen keyboard during lap use. It's simple to switch between the two angles, even at first it's slightly unnerving to push the kickstand back further than it seems like it should. It feels sturdy in either position, and a small mechanism keeps it locked in place.
While the original Surface RT debuted just in black, Microsoft has opted for a silver edition this time around. It's a new color that compliments Microsoft's push into new additions to its Surface cover colors. The front of the silver Surface 2 still has a black bezel, but you can see a silver trim that extends around the rest of the device. Along with the subtle coloring, the Windows logo at the rear of the Surface 2 has been replaced with the Surface wordmark in the typical Segoe font. Other than that, visually it's almost identical to the Surface RT. The speaker grills have been made slightly larger, and the keyboard connector has extra contact points, but if you put the Surface 2 side-by-side with the Surface RT it would be tough to tell the difference.
We'll be back with additional impressions shortly.