______Some Background______ My two-year-old NVIDIA Shield tablet was starting to have issues with the charge port, so it was time to find a replacement for my game anywhere / web surfing / occasional Office 365 / movie watching tablet of awesomeness. Being able to easily play AAA games from my Windows gaming desktop in a hotel room on my Android tablet 5 states away via the built in NVIDIA game streaming app was pretty cool. Unfortunately, the tablet market has fewer niches than it did two years ago, so that meant my options for a device with similar functionality at a similar price point simply didn't exist... putting the Microsoft Surface Go or the Nintendo Switch as the top two closest functional equivalents albeit a higher price-point. Since Nintendo has intentionally limited / crippled their device into being a nearly singular use device and there was a good open box discount available, I decided to give the 128GB Surface Go a try. I’ve been a high-end desktop builder for gaming and multimedia production for nearly 15 years and expect a lot out of my computing devices. Having researched the hardware a bit and having hands-on with it for a few weeks now, I knew and have confirmed that this is what enthusiasts would call a “potato PC.” A pretty, pretty potato. (a.k.a. entry-level / low-end / unable to handle more demanding tasks) It has had a few surprises though. ______The Review_____ The Pros: As a long time computer nerd, I'm comfortable with Windows and knew I could do a lot of fun/useful things with the platform (after installing Windows 10 Pro in order to access regular use applications not on the Windows Store). The screen is excellent with good color and brightness. Fingerprint magnet, but easy to clean. Windows Hello (logging in with yer face) integration is nice. Though a low-end graphics solution, the Intel HD 615 IGP is better than most other entry level laptops on the market. It’s incapable of running most AAA games from the last three years, even on lowest settings, but can often run older (i.e. “The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion” with some mods) or less complex (i.e. “Castle Crashers,” “Hyperlight Drifter,” “Heroes of the Storm”) Steam games. Often it requires lowering the resolution or settings, but if you have an extensive Steam library, you’ll probably find something. It's awesome having a Windows 10 computer in such a tiny form factor. The device is small, light, and would easily fit in most bags, mid-sized purses, etc. The sound is crisp for such a small device, and the Bluetooth works well in pairing with external sound solutions. The device feels solid with it’s brushed aluminum body, and though not what I’d call “heavy,” it has a certain heft to it that makes it feel like a well-made device. The keyboard and pen accessories (though overpriced) seem well made and responsive. The thought that was given in designing the pen to magnetically cling to the device was a clever touch. Larger microSD cards are starting to come out, so the paltry 128GB storage can be supplemented by a 400GB or more class 10 microSD card for under $100. 1TB cards are expected to hit the market in 2019. With Windows 10 Pro’s bit locker, I can easily encrypt the microSD card too. The Cons: Based on the wording of the warranty information, Microsoft has zero interest in providing support if you chose to use any Windows operating system other than the very limited / Apple-like preinstalled Windows with S mode enabled. I would only recommend Windows S mode, reluctantly, to those uncomfortable with computers or extremely casual users who have all their preferred apps available on the Windows Store. Reminder; no Google apps nor Valve’s incredibly popular Steam gaming platform are on the Windows Store. The battery life is horrific, maxing out at around 3 hours if I’m doing anything other than watching a video. This seems to be the case whether it’s default installation or Windows Pro. Simple tasks like surfing the web in Microsoft Edge or Google Chrome or taking notes in Microsoft OneNote slaughters the battery. Microsoft OneDrive syncing also ate up the battery hardcore when first setting up OneDrive on the device, but that was somewhat expected. Keeping the device in power saving mode and ONLY watching a full screen video seems to max out around 6 hours from informal testing. Being so far off from the “up to nine hours battery life” claim makes me wonder if my unit is defective and is, by far, the largest weakness I’ve found in the device. The system frequently feels slow / unresponsive under very modest workloads. Fresh out of the box, the unit was running exceptionally sluggish at 100% CPU utilization for no clear reason. It appears to have been a bug in one of the 2018 Windows distributions, which was cleared up with subsequent updates and switching to Windows 10 Pro. The Pentium Gold processor was designed in 2nd quarter of 2017 and simply doesn’t have the performance per watt of either ARM based solutions used in most tablets / smartphones, or AMD’s Ryzen APUs. The SSD and microSD card reader are exceptionally slow compared to the SSD experiences I’ve been accustomed to for the last five years, though still faster than a HDD. The cost is the last big detractor. It was nice that Microsoft clearly got some actual designers on board when conceptualizing the device, but their decision to market and price the Surface line as a “luxury computing product” like Apple has done with their entire product line is an unfortunate business decision for consumers. The bezel is pretty big / not particularly “fashionable” in luxury priced computing products. Though I dig the USB-C connection in theory, not having an HDMI port like my SHIELD did without shelling out an unreasonable amount for an adaptor or dock is frustrating. Especially since casting wirelessly just doesn’t seem to work. To elaborate; when connecting to my Miracast capable high-end Sony Bravia 930D 4k smart TV, the sound and video cast by my surface (at 1080p) becomes so choppy and delayed as to be unwatchable. Even doing a screen mirroring to my TV as a wireless monitor, in under a minute, there’s nearly a 10 second delay on the TV. My $200 mid-range Samsung phone from 2015 and SHIELD tablet didn’t have this issue. The device runs somewhat warm. Never hot to the point of being uncomfortable, I have encountered a thermometer icon when trying to start the device on one occasion… apparently indicating I had to let it sit to cool down before it would power on. Not a huge concern since it’s happened literally one time ever… but worth noting if you live in a warmer climate. Lastly, despite the tablet form factor, the device comparatively sucks for use AS A TABLET when put against Android or iOS. Even in tablet mode, things that you take for granted in Android or iOS are common annoyances in Windows. One of the most common examples; typing in a field on a website, only to have the digital keyboard obscure what you’re actually typing… and with no way to move the keyboard other than changing screen orientation, there’s nothing you can do about it other than type blind. Another very common issue; apps not causing the on-screen keyboard to automatically pop up when selecting a text entry field… even if you have it set to do so in Windows settings. I quickly found that many programs that required a sign-in were unusable without a keyboard since the on-screen keyboard wouldn’t be usable if focus was on the program requiring the sign-in. In other words, you HAVE to have a keyboard for this device, which is an additional $100 if you want the Microsoft one for this device… for a keyboard. A $100 keyboard. Sigh. If you don’t mind something bulkier, any Bluetooth keyboard will work. ______Final Thoughts______ I probably should contact Microsoft regarding the awful battery life. It really might just be that my unit is defective. Despite the other flaws I listed, if you can get the device on sale or have the money to spare for a secondary computer that’s tiny and cool-looking, the Surface Go is a pretty interesting device. It’s no power-house, Windows S mode will be annoying to moderate to highly competent users, you have to have a keyboard for regular usage, and it’s a better small computer than it is a tablet… but it’s crazy portable, creative types will likely dig the Microsoft pen implementation (even if the device struggles to run pro-level creative apps), it’s a full-fledged Windows computer in a tablet form-factor, and the Microsoft keyboard with trackpad has a good feel to it. The Surface Go is a pretty, pretty potato and worth considering for a portable secondary computing device.

I have been eyeing the Surface series of tablets for some time now. I have a largely Apple ecosystem and admit after switching to Apple after being a longtime Windows user a few years ago, I have some biases against Windows machines, though I admit the Surface series and their great reviews intrigued me. This experience has proven that MS has vastly improved and has produced an impressive series of devices with Apple-esque qualities in many ways. This Surface Go competes against the iPads in many ways in terms of size, weight and portability, but has the added benefit of providing a full Windows PC experience, whereas the iPad cannot replicate that of a Mac to the same degree. Pairing the Surface Go with the Microsoft portable keyboard cover is a must if you want a tablet that can provide a full laptop experience. It's an extra hundred bucks as of this writing but is an absolutely stellar performer and worth the cost. I have a iPad Pro 10.5" and can compare it in several areas for reference. Things I like about the Go (mine is the 128 GB/8GB RAM version): 1. Small, portable and easy to carry. Thicker than an iPad but about the same weight, and the Microsoft keyboard you can (and should) buy separately is vastly superior to the iPad's, it includes an excellent trackpad, and fits the surface better and is flatter when folded - and provides a true laptop experience that an iPad cannot match. 2. Very snappy performance. I almost got the more expensive & larger Surface Pro 6 because of performance concerns, but this Go with the Pentium processor has shown absolutely no deficiencies. Apps like Excel and Word, Edge, etc open quickly with no lag or delay. 3. Gorgeous screen. I have read some people actually had an issue with 1800 x 1200 resolution, but seriously - remember, this is a 10" screen and the clarity and sharpness are stunning, as good as any Retina screen. On full brightness it's beautiful, but I have to admit on half brightness, it's not as bright as an iPad on half brightness. 4. Stand is integrated into the Surface Go's body. At first I was put off by this, but it's really a better design. It makes the Surface slightly thicker than an iPad, but the compatible keyboard is much larger and more functional than an iPad's since the iPad uses its keyboard as a stand, also. 5. Micro-SD card slot in back behind the stand, so it's completely covered when the Surface is used as a tablet with the stand folded. Easy way to add cheap storage since Micro-SD cars are very cheap right now. You cannot add storage to any iPad. 6. Touchscreen is extremely responsive and has just the right amount of sensitivity. Microsoft combines the traditional Windows interface with tiles so you can click them to open up apps. 7. Flexibility - this thing functions well as a tablet, while you're laying in bed and surfing or watching a movie, and a full-bore laptop if you buy the keyboard designed for it, which I strongly recommend. The keyboard clasps to the Go magnetically and is powered by it. It's also backlit and has a full keyboard just like a standard laptop, and an outstanding integrated touchpad, which an iPad cannot offer. This means you can set this up on a desk and use it as a complete laptop, which makes using apps like Excel, Word and Powerpoint seamless and far less awkward than they are on an iPad. For a traveling tablet that can double as a work computer, this is a far better choice. The iPad is superior in terms of OS ergonomics and snappiness, as well as battery life, as a tablet, but cannot double as a full-bore PC the way the Surface can. Things I am not crazy about: 1. I bought a stylus with this, and pairing was difficult and took several tries. It appears to work but still does not show up as a device in Bluetooth devices. 2. Battery life is mediocre at best. I charged this and my iPad to 100%, and the Surface dropped to 90% overnight with the screen off while the iPad dropped half as much to 95%. The iPad claims 10 hours of use and I cannot see this Surface getting more than 5 or 6 on a good day, with light use and a fairly dim screen. Maybe MS can release a firmware update to improve things, but this is definitely this device's Achilles heel. 3. The Surface ships in S mode and works well in it. I am aware you can migrate the device out of S-mode into standard Windows mode. However, I am reluctant to shift it out of S-mode as it's a one-way move and makes the Surface less secure and worsens battery life, but S mode means you can only use Microsoft-approved apps from the app store, and those apps seem to be really limited. That means no Chrome, no iCloud access, no app for my bank, very few home automation apps, etc. that are all freely available in Apple's "walled garden" for its iPad. Apple allows OneDrive access while MS does not return the favor with iCloud. iTunes, fortunately, is available. Very disappointing and this removes a star from an otherwise excellent device.

I have to admit, I am a total Surface junkie having previously owned the Surface 3, Surface Pro 3 and currently the Surface Pro. When this came out, I knew I would have to get it! I used my Surface 3 for travel but found it just a bit too laggy for my tastes and my son needed something portable for work so I gave it to him and replaced it with an 11" Lenova Yoga 710 with i5 and 8 gigs of ram. I was just waiting for Surface to up their game in the 10 inch arena. When I saw the GO, I knew I had to have it. I was a little worried about the processor, but after reading a few reviews that said it was faster than the Surface 3 I decided to grab one. I am glad I did. Right out of the box I was in love! I ran the updates which took about half an hour or so then immediately got it out of S mode - easy peasy! I have only had this for 2 days, but have spent quite a bit of time on it, setting it up with my programs and watching Netflix. I have to admit, it is not as quick as my Surface Pro or even the Lenovo, but it is not a huge difference and the pluses definitely outnumber the minuses. PROS: *Looks amazing! *Size - this baby is extremely portable *Relatively quick and responsive *Keyboard is well proportioned for an easy transition to smaller keyboard *Track pad is larger than expected and works very well (although I usually use the surface mouse) *Screen is very sharp and clear in spite of low resolution *Speakers seem better than my Surface Pro 4 *Firefox, my browser of choice, runs well on this (Sorry, not a fan of Edge) *It can charge with either the proprietary charger, or you can charge through the USB C Port (We travel a lot and I love that I will be able to charge with my phone charger on trips where I don't want to bring a lot of stuff along! Bringing just one charger for all my electronics is HUGE!) CONS: *It can be a bit more "sluggish" than more powerful computers if you have several things going on *So far all my games play just fine, but I am guessing higher end games probably won't play well. In short, if you are looking for a fully functional on the go computer/tablet - this is a great choice! It is replacing my Lenovo Yoga and Galaxy Tab s3 tablet so I will only be bringing one device instead of 2 on trips. My greatest hope is that the Surface Go 2 will come with i5 and 264 gigs of ram - I would grab that up in a hurry! Microsoft, are you listening? ;)

I don't write reviews often, however, I'm compelled to write about the Surface Go. I've had the tablet two days now, and I can tell you that it will be replacing the 10" iPad pro that's been sitting on my shelf collecting dust. The iPad is great for media consumption or someone who doesn't need a file system. I've purchased many different laptops, 2 in 1 hybrids, Macs, iPads, etc. with the goal of finding a device that is portable enough to carry everywhere and can run general office applications. Recently I converted from Apple, into using a 15" Surface Book 2 for use when at my desk and a 13" Surface Book 2 for when I'm on the go. The 13" Surface Book 2 is a fantastic mobile machine, but it is still a bit bulky. Since I already had the two Surface Books I could not justify purchasing a Surface Pro; the screen size is too similar to the Surface Book. In my quest to find the perfect on the go machine I tried HP Spectre, Razer Stealth, and Asus Zenbook, each of these machines had their drawbacks and weren't portable enough to go everywhere. Along comes the Surface Go, while it isn't a powerhouse it is sufficient to use as my go anywhere machine. It starts up quickly, its light, easy to carry, has Surface Pen support and runs Windows applications. It's strange to carry around a device as compact as an iPad but enables me to be productive with very few compromises. Some key notes to take away, Chrome is fine on this machine, but I suggest using Edge as it is much smoother and responsive. Office Apps work great; the file system is quick on the 128GB SSD version, it does not get hot at all, Surface Type keyboard is much better than the Apple iPad keyboard, Windows Hello works flawlessly. Who is the Surface Go for? In my opinion, it should be your second device, not a primary computing device. Typing out a long paper can be done, but your hands will be cramped. Heavy workloads will probably result in frustration due to the processor speed. I've tried nearly every brand of laptop including all Apple models and this year Microsoft Surface products are the very best.

I had heard so many mixed reviews about this unit leading up to its release and while considering my purchase, it started to make me feel skeptical about something I was initially extremely excited about. Well, after at first deciding on a Chromebook Plus for my "secondary PC" needs (already have a beast i7 17 inch laptop with dedicated graphics for my "serious" work and creativity needs), after a few days of using it I found that -- despite loving and using the Google ecosystem daily -- it just felt restricting to me as a computer user. So I went back and took a really hard look at the Surface Go. I decided to give it a shot, spending a little more than I wanted but liking the added multitasking potential of 8GB of memory and the speed that the 128GB SSD would offer. Well, after spending about a week with it, I know I made the RIGHT CHOICE. It's not the fastest machine on earth, but if you don't try and make it edit your next motion picture or don't INSIST on having 30 browser tabs open, you'll be fine. It's definitely not *slow*. And it sure shouldn't be your MAIN PC. If you want a Surface as your main PC, there are better options, but they typically involve four digits in their price. One of the best things is how wonderfully it gives me all the best of what a Chromebook could have offered me and how well it pairs up with the Microsoft ecosystem I am already using heavily on my larger Dell. Being able to use it as my "daily driver" and still have access to all that I need from my primary PC thanks to our modern cloud storage systems as well as the nice portability of using it as a notetaking and light productivity machine at work just leaves me with none of the feelings of limitation that I got from the Chromebook. It was a bit of a bummer that I had to shell out more cash for the keyboard cover and the pen (don't buy MS's USB-C hub, there are far better and less pricey connector hubs found elsewhere online) it truly rounds out the experience and provides a real "full-PC" experience if you need it on the go and also a tablet one if that's what you're going for. Highly recommended. This might be the best "small PC" I've ever used. I avoided the Surface line for years because it just felt too overpriced for what it did. This...this is just right.

I purchased this 3 days ago. I went in to look at the Samsung Galaxy Tab S3. Right before I went into the store, I was reviewing the Surface to go online. The sales assistant that helped me, just happened to be a Microsoft Expert. I didn't realize it at the time. I mentioned the Surface to go and he just happened to have one in his hand. He asked me what I was looking for and what I needed and proceeded to show me what the Surface can do. On his recommendation, I purchased this one, the 128gb. The sales associate didn't have any new ones, but he had a open box. I was able to purchase the Surface for $448. The pen was still $99, I got the burgundy one. I will get the keyboard and mouse at a later date, if I keep it. So far so good. I like the fact that you can sync your phone with the Surface. It's a cool feature, but I didn't like Launcher taking over my Android phone, so I unconnected it. I'm still getting to know it. I didn't have to open it up, because the previous owner did it. They also had Microsoft Home on it. I ended up purchasing MS 365 and didn't need to. Bestbuy didn't do a good job of checking the unit out. Even though it had the "Inspected" sticker on it. When I took it out the box, it was already in the middle of the set up. I didn't know I was supposed to use the pen and I tried to use my fingers. Eventually, I was able to get through it. Watching a Video was good. Sound quality was good. I do think that I might need to get some wireless speakers, if I'm going to be watching a movie. I wan't to be able to sit back and not upclose to listen; especially if I"m at home. I can use my headphones if I'm out in public. I'm still working on the battery life. I've only been doing small stuff on it. I don't play a lot of games, so having a lot of apps for games, doesn't matter to me. Bestbuy didn't offer me a service plan. I didn't realize it until two days later, when I looked at the receipt. I'm not sure if it was because it was an "open box" or if he just forgot. My school laptop has Windows, my home laptop has Windows and I have an Amazon Tablet. Amazon is limited, so that's why I wanted something a little more. I want to be able to take my homework with me; notes, powerpoints etc to work and study and not have to take either one of the laptops. I agree with one other comments about not being able to use the entire real estate as for viewing, because of the border. That's why I was looking at the tablet. I do a lot of reading. I have a Kindle Paperwhite, so I don't know if there will be any eye strain if I do a lot of reading on this. I also haven't had a chance to draw with the pen yet. I can't wait to do. If I do decided to keep it, I will need to get the keyboard and mouse and a warranty. It may be too late for the warranty but I can try. I still have time on the return. I will play with it some more.

Okay here’s my review. I don’t review much on Best Buy but do sometimes on Amazon. I preordered Surface Go on the BB site mainly because I was going to use the free $50 BB gift card with the purchase towards a Go keyboard. To start off with I pretty much have all of the Surface family devices the studio, pro 4, and Book but I find myself using the Go the most because I move around a lot and all of the other devices are much too inconvenient. The Surface Book detached is actually lighter but the battery life for the tablet portion is not enough. I bought a Stream Deck Mini and have all of my macros programmed and this combo is a beast and fits my needs perfectly. The battery life is great too. I get about 7 hours but I can also charge through the USB C. I can’t review the 64gb version but my 128gb version with 8gb RAM fits my needs perfectly. The premium keyboard came out to $80 with $50 off. I use a surface pen from my other device. Over all, this is my dream device. Small, powerful, and the keyboard doesn’t feel cramped. I don’t like Windows S (sorry Microsoft) but I was able to remove it using the free Microsoft removal on their Store. I feel that the device is crippled with Windows S, so make sure to remove it you plan to install other applications not found on their App Store. Great job on the GO! I hope you keep innovating!

To say I am impressed with the Surface Go is a complete understatement. Let me tell you why... I have been looking for a Windows PC to conduct my business on for a long time now. I use a desktop at my office and I purchased a Google Pixelbook (which is amazing by the way) with the hopes that I could convert my Microsoft office functions into gsuite. That didn't work out for me and my productivity away from work was not as high because of it. So I have been looking and looking for a laptop to travel with and plug into my monitor at home with at an affordable price and I couldn't find anything. So I waited until reviews of the Surface Go came out. I decided to take a leap of faith and purchase the high end model for $550 and boy was I glad that I did. I was afraid that I wouldn't be able to type on the keyboard (I have medium sized hands) and let me say the typing experience is immaculate. I type just as well on the smaller chick-let keys as I do a full sized keyboard. Another one of my fears was using an Intel Pentium Processor (which I haven't used since Intel created Core processors years ago) and I am floored at how good the processor is. I can run endless tabs, spreadsheets, etc and project onto my monitor with no delay. To put in terms of how good the Pentium processor is let me tell you... The Pentium Processor on the Go is 33% faster then the Surface Pro 3 Core I5 4th generation. Better yet, the Surface Go Pentium Processor is 20% faster then the SP3 Core I7 processor. It really goes to show how far Intel has come in just three years. This computer is absolutely perfect for business as a travel companion or at home laptop (or docked with a monitor and keyboard). I am very impressed and I highly recommend this brilliant product by Microsoft.