So far, I’ve talked about using the Surface Duo’s two screens together as a single giant screen to read and write. This seems to be a case where technology is better by motivating me, rather than by enabling something totally new. As a result, I’ve been taking more notes after conversations with people and remembering more of my random ideas on subway rides. I can’t say the Duo changes this workflow dramatically, but with the Surface Pen stylus and OneNote, I’ve found it much more fun to jot down notes in the moment, when I’m outside. Before the Duo, I would just open up a notes app and dump my mind there, so I could come back to it later when I was sitting in front of a proper computer. In addition to reading more, I’ve been trying to get better at remembering small things that escape my mind in the day-to-day by writing things down. When I wand to read something less ephemeral, I can turn the tablet horizontal and open up a Kindle book to stretch across the phone’s two screens perfectly. The Surface Duo makes reading long-form online content enjoyable, rather than uncomfortable like on small phone screens. While reading on a phone feels so constrained that I only ever want to do it if I have no other options, I’ve found myself reading on the Duo’s unfurled screen even at home on the couch, as well as when I’m sitting outside or just waiting in line. This is almost entirely because of the fact that I can unfold the phone’s two halves into a large, combined screen that feels like the size of a small paperback book. The first change I noticed in my day-to-day life is that I read a lot more when I am outside with the Duo. It’s much too early for me to have any definitive opinions about the device as a daily carry, but it’s enough for me to have discovered some fun and genuinely useful things I can do with the Duo that I couldn’t before.
I’ve carried the Surface Duo in my pocket for about a week now. This actually turns out to be important, because the Duo isn’t quite polished enough to become your only device in your pockets, but as a secondary phone that can sometimes become a better pocket computer, it’s great.
#HOW TO USE ONENOTE FOR DAILY NOTES ANDROID#
“phones”, because I carry two phones: an iPhone and an… other phone, which is usually a more quirky Android phone. But when I’m out and about in the city and need to burn some time or write down a fresh idea, usually all I’ve got with me are my phones, and in those use cases, the Surface Duo delivers. I’ve got a bunch of big screens at home for me to watch videos, listen to music, and do everything else computers are good for. Most of my thoughts about the Duo will be from the perspective of someone who reads a lot and takes a lot of notes on their mobile device. This time, it’s about the Surface Duo, a dual-screen folding phone-tablet hybrid from Microsoft running a funky crossover of Google’s Android with Microsoft’s services.
#HOW TO USE ONENOTE FOR DAILY NOTES PRO#
The last time this happened, it was about the 2018 iPad Pro which I still use daily. I don’t normally write about new gadgets when they come out, but once in a while, a new device captures my imagination and creativity so much that I can’t help write a little bit about how I use it, and why it gets me so excited.