Loved that you, unlike so many others, reviewed the Go for what it is. So many want it larger, more powerful, faster, longer battery life, so a Pro. Have a 128GB, 8GB Go 1 and it's the perfect companion to my Surface Book. Take it anywhere, so small/light often have to check it's still in the bag. Yes, iPad is better for some things but as an Android/Windows user means would have to deal with another whole ecosystem. Go does what I need without that
@@meghulodeva4093 Even the old 'Go' works fine for those tasks so long as you get the version with the SSD rather than EMMC hard drive. Its not tremendously quick but to be able to run full photoshop/premiere on the go without dragging around a 3-4 times heavier/bulkier notebook is worth having to wait a bit longer for some operations to complete. If thats all you're doing, a Surface pro might be better suited though.
Use mine for taking notes everyday at uni in Aus. Given that this takes the same keyboard I thought about upgrading but the lack of a significant battery upgrade makes me hesitant.
As owner of Surface Go1 I can say that the hardware is fantastic, the machine is slow, and if a person needs a portable light laptop this is a great little device. Also, people who are writing their language right-to-left will love it, because many apps are working on these machines excellent in comparison to iOS devices. If all that you are looking for is social media, Netflix, RUclips then better go with iPad.
Microsoft now has a nice hybrid mode in Windows for tablets. It takes regular Windows 10 and changes a few things slightly, making it touch-optimized. For example, you can easily drag, resize, and snap windows with touch. The taskbar icons are better spaced, and File Explorer is easier to work with. This is something big to keep in mind, as this feature did not exist when this review came out.
OMG when I was 8 and choosing my first BlackBerry I was watching your videos. Now I'm almost 18 and a decade later I'm watching your videos to decide which tablet to get! :)
Great review Lisa, but a small constructive point to add: I know a number of very sophisticated users who find the hi-spec model - the "business" version with 256GB SSD, m3 and 8GB RAM - to function as well as a Core i7 16GB RAM with fast Samsung SSD (eg, their Spectre X360 with Ice Lake) for all productivity applications *and Photoshop* That includes full multitasking of productivity apps and many tabs of Chrome. No one suggests that it's "as powerful" as the x360, but that for general business use, including note taking and photo editing, this cooks as fast as a much more powerful computer with more RAM. One of the key differences is that the SSD in this one is competitive with best of breed - or one rung down, but runs circles around the one used in the 128GB models. I don't know how much disk i/o time effects the perception of performance, but the SSDs are night/day. So, at the limits I'm sure the SG2 would huff and puff long before a more powerful laptop, and the screen/keyboard size are what they are - and they are the price you pay for such a tiny/lightweight Windows tablet PC. But for many who value the mini-size, it doesn't seem to be the performance slog that reviews have suggested - including yours - without the evidence. Those who will pay $820 for a little m3 computer may be a small sliver of the market, but I would think that even the m3/8GB/128GB model performs fine for most, if not all, of the use cases I describe above. Maybe this little guy is not getting the props it earns.
I totally agree with you (I have the Go2 128, 8GB Ram and the Brydge keyboard) its a wonderful machine, I would have gotten the business model if I knew it was available at the time.
I have two surface GO (private and professional, both the256 GB version), so I am a convinced user. They really work well. What I miss the most is a 500 GB version or even more. Adding an SD card does not fix it, as connection is lost regularly.
They have a really nice hybrid mode now. It keeps the familiar feel and functionality of Windows, but just optimized things for touch--dragging, resizing, and snapping windows, for instance, is a great example.
We're moving more and more to cloud based storage or streaming media. Personally I only need large disks for installing games on a gaming box. On a tablet like this what do you even need the space for?
@@NickHunter In a Windows machine, 64 GB is nothing. If you have 128 GB, between the OS, MS Office, a couple more programs, a recovery partition, and a hefty document folder, you will have around 20/30 GB left. I would say 128 GB is the minimum, specially if you are on the go and you cannot rely in having Internet.
Great review! Especially helpful in how you compare the various Surface computers. I just bought the Surface Go 2 as an ultralight second computer for when I'm away from my home studio. I'm amazed at the performance. I do mostly music/multimedia/programming, and it does a surprisingly good job running my work applications within reasonable expectations of project scale. In other words, I can easily work on parts of my large projects, then add them to the larger versions on my main computer. It's ridiculously small, but plenty large in my use (I have 69-year old eyes, but also computer glasses focused to computer distance, so no problem with the screen). If I need more screen real estate, I plug in my iPad Pro and use it as a second monitor with Duet Display. (Kind of amazing to have a 2-monitor computer rig that weighs about 2 1/2 pounds.) The keyboard is small but wonderful. The battery life, as you say, depends on performance settings and, for me, is not all-day generally but is good enough. (It's all-day on Battery Saver, but I usually need the "better" or "best" performance settings for the applications I use. Nice to have that choice!) As to the pen -- Wacom is fantastic, but for me Windows is a close second and the convenience of having a pen available at all times on a regular computer is pretty wonderful. I'm really happy I bought it. Reviews like yours are really helpful in making the decision -- thanks for your expertise, thoroughness and fairness!
@@mobiletechreview thankyou..would love to see the performance on PS and LR photo editing on tablet mode. Some say the tablet mode had heating issues on surface book 2
A great use for this that I use it for is as a WISP Technician, its nice to be able to do Ubiquiti radio installs on a roof with a full fledged Windows OS to do config and spectrum analyzing(the ios and android versions are not nearly as good).
I noticed when we put the surface pro 7's on display back in November at our store for the first time, the type covers had the same issue. Once they were "broken in" after a week or two, they flexed normally.
Excellent review. I have the Go2, I have it about a year now, I got the 8GB M3 version and I use it for VBA programming (Excel) Office, Python programming, youtube videos etc...works great. Specifically it was for commuting on the train, but those days are over pretty much for me, but it still gets a lot of use. I have WIndows 11 on it and its pretty good. Now, the biggie...I got the Bridge 10.5 Go+ keyboard and it really shines. It makes it like a real laptop. It adds some weight, but if i was in college now (do I wish!!!) this would be so perfect.
I have a surface pro 4 (sp4) and a surface pro 6 (sp6). I can see at sp6, battery is solid, when i put it in sleep mode and wake it up 2 weeks later, battery lost 1%. For sp4 after a week in sleep mode it lost already 5-10%. Not to talk also about how at the same activities sp6 barely gets warm, sp4 gets warmer to hot. So have no idea how that sp3 behaves if sp4 has so many problems (compared with sp6 and above).
Couldn't I get a used Surface pro 6 for the price of the Core M3 but it would be a Pentium i5 or higher, plus more storage and faster SSD than the $650 Go 2? I really don't know who that model is for.
If possible get an open-box excellent condition SP7 from Best Buy. Mine only cost $615 (i5, 8 ram, 128 storage). Also, there are sales that include the keyboard for $699...
The m3 is for those who want the small footprint of the Go better than the Pro. Microsoft didn't include it in the 1st because it would make sense to go for a Pro for that price instead but, people demanded a more powerful option for the Go's footprint, and here it is. I'm goona upgrade my Go to the m3 Go for sure.
Lisa, I enjoy your tech videos, especially your delivery of the specs for each device, and that’s why I keep coming back. Even so, my challenge for you is to use the base SG1 &2 for a few days and give us your feedback. Honestly, I think we are all so hung up on specs that we miss the beauty of such devices. The SG line is probably the most misunderstood portable on the market. Reviewers tend to compare it the iPad, which is a bad comparison, even though it can be used as a tablet. Its real use is a portable running Windows, and of course, there are going to be trade-offs. However, compare it (with keyboard) to any PC laptop in the $550 price range on quality, function, camera, usability, and affordability. I think you would be surprised. I can testify because I have used the base model (SG1) for several months. I did not run adobe or use it for gaming, I used it for O365 Apps, Netflix, Canva, MSFT Store Apps(limited), web browsing, video conferencing, and note-taking. I even used it to deliver my Math class lectures. In summary, there are many things it is not, but it worked pretty darn good for the uses I mentioned.
Although for basic workflows the Go 2 Pentium would do them okay it does mean a very limited device if you ever need to do more intensive stuff. An iPad Air (similar price to Go 2 Pentium) would do all the same things with a better performance with a far superior tablet experience and with the Logitech Combo keyboard work well for productivity. Having used both I could not understand why anyone would choose the Go Base over an iPad Air. I have not tested the m3 version so am still neutral on that though when spending that much it is likely a main device and I think the size then becomes more of a hindrance than useful. In that context the Surface Pro 6 would at a similar price be a far more sensible choice.
Good for use in EMS(Emergency Medical Service) patient care reports? Only use web-based ePCR. Need BT connection to a printer - Canon TR150. We are very remote in Southwest Az. Yes???
I loved my go 1! I was going to pick this one up, but the price difference between the surface pro 7 and the go 2 m3 was just too small. The pro 7 i5 was the better deal for me, bought it yesterday after waiting to see what the go 2 would bring to the table. I will miss the super small size and lightweight design though.
So how would these compare to like a surface pro 4? On the used market in tip top shape they sell for less than these still and just seem like they'd be markedly better?
Well, I have a grandson that is going to college in August. I saw him last week and showed him my Go2 and the pen. He fell in love with it so i am going t give it to him after i set it up with his version of Office 365. I am back to my 2018 Surface i5 8/256.
I love your reviews!! :) I love my surface Go, I think it's not stressed enough that it is the only product with a full OS which has those tiny dimensions. People won't buy it as a first device, I think, but as a second device I can do work on it and carry it in my purse. It's perfect. Given a decent phone cost 500$ nowadays I don't mind spending 700$ for a device who's helping me in my work on the go. I hope I'm not the only one.. ;)
As Lisa mentioned, bit of a different beast. I think the Matepad Pro will turn out to be a very crippled beast due to the absence of the Google Play store. Android tablets don't enjoy great software support as it is, unfortunately, despite Samsung's best efforts to grow that market.
Hi Lisa, I enjoy watching your reviews, but I was wondering if we will see another review with various performance metrics comparison? Also, the issue with the type cover, is this common across other surface Pros and the Surface Go?
I love seeing these reviews of tablets/2-in-1s because you're the only RUclipsr who covers all the bases, from art to productivity to games. It's good to get your input on the SG2, but the layered price points for the lackluster performance seem to be a bit of a deal breaker for me. Do you think we could get a review of the new HP Spectre x360 15t, the one with the gtx 1650? I've been wondering how the thermal and pen performance compares to the older 1050 model and if it's worth getting the new gen over the old gen (especially because they've yet to slap a dGPU in anything with Wacom EMR 😔).
Love the original Surface GO, I can run two displays over a cable matters USB-C dock (2880x1620 and 2650x1440 both running @60Hz) and have charging and USB 2.0 as well. Pentium Gold performs much better than expected in this kind of setup as long as you get the 8GB model for sufficient video cache.
Thanks for the great, to-the-point review! The minute I saw the charger I knew this was a no-go for me. I've had two Surface Pros and have gone through FOUR of these chargers. One quit working after six months, the other three ended up having wires fray around the stem where it goes into the plug that magnetically attaches to the tablet.
@ LISA can you please review the new hp envy 17.3? The 2020 version with nvidia geforce mx330 graphics? I just bought one and there isn't tons of info online. Only have a couple weeks to return it. Is this thing worth keeping?
Surface was never a brand meant to be cheap. Surface is Microsoft's HALO device line. It's high end, fashionable, expensive, kinda unique. It's not meant to be a competitor to their OEMs, it's meant to be product category defining, industry pushing tech. It's the bench mark, that OEMs can aspire to and by it's definition it's a brand that leaves plenty of room for OEMs to undercut or fill in the niches (low end and [high end]gaming). So the Surface Go is for those who appreciate it's use case, and quality. Not for those looking for a cheap computer!
So, is this a good option for a student taking 15 credits? I just need something that’s a little bit faster and more effective than my Dell Inspiron 11. It’s not too bad of a laptop but since all of my classes are remote this semester, I still wanted something portable but a tad faster. Nothing fancy.
I like how you go deeper with display color acuracy than you did in past.. Since this is a thing, maybe you could also run a LatencyMon and some headphone jack output test?
Is a review for the new 15-inch Spectre x360 (15-eb___) coming soon? There's a Memorial Day sale on HP's website that looks very tempting... hex-core and one of the first laptops with a GTX 1650 Ti. BOB territory. But if fan noise is still an issue I might pass.
I've got the Pentium today, and it seems to work really well, it's not blazing speed but it works, I only use it for class and a few RPG things, plus movies etc. Thanks for the review, always good!
Hello Lisa! Good stuff as always! Is there any chance you could give the Acer Swift 3 2020 version 3:2 version (SF313-52) a review? I can’t find a good review anywhere. Would be awesome if you’re gonna do one! Keep being awesome! :)
So guys, would you recommend even the cheapest model for university usage? Use of Office Pack, google docs and chrome? Maybe 2/3 pages open at the same time?
I get the specs and there are amazing features that are better out there with other models. I use this for my practice and it performs more than I expected. All my Medical Assistants love it. Perhaps, you might want to include the practicality of this little gem for usefulness, instead of your opinion of "lackluster" of specifications. Some use this device for more than just how it compares. We use it to the amazing ability for my practice.
Great product , I like form factor , LTE, great webcam in the right position middle of the tablet ,great microphones, SD card, connect 4k monitor, good keyboard.
I'm looking for a device to take notes on one note, but form factor between the go and the full surface line is negligible to me. Would anyone recommend the 6 over the go for that reason?
Good evening. I have a problem with Surface go 2. It has worked well. My surface charger does't work. I do not know the reason. Then I charge it with Type-C cable. After that it works slowly again and again. It doesn't work properly. One day My surface turn off suddenly and it doesn't turn on. It is charging with New Charger . But it doesn't turn on . What I should do in order to turn it on? Please help me!
Great review. This is for a very specific customer where being small at the lowest cost possible is most important. Many people will be better served by a ultraportable class device with a Ryzen 2 processor. Surface devices are not best in value type devices. You get them because of form factor, not performance or value.
![[DRAGON BALL LEGENDS REVEALS ＆ STUFF] LEGENDS FESTIVAL 2024 Special Edition Part 2](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/af0phKxitX8/mqdefault.jpg)
I've watched several reviews on this product and I'm glad Lisa did it, her review covers exactly the points I needed to hear.
Thomas Batteux is it good to get pls tell me I want to get it is it touch screen and can I draw on it
Fernando Almaraz did you watch the video..?
Ayssa
She’s sounds so trustworthy and wise that I want her to review my life!
Be careful what you wish for.
She’ll say like surface go, entry level product and unimpressive performance.
She reviewed my life the other day and told me that my life was the equivalent of an Atari 2600.
She’s a gem - we have been watching for years.😊
yeah i could imagine her narrating my bad decisions
Loved that you, unlike so many others, reviewed the Go for what it is. So many want it larger, more powerful, faster, longer battery life, so a Pro. Have a 128GB, 8GB Go 1 and it's the perfect companion to my Surface Book. Take it anywhere, so small/light often have to check it's still in the bag. Yes, iPad is better for some things but as an Android/Windows user means would have to deal with another whole ecosystem. Go does what I need without that
can I better using Photoshop & video editing software?
@@meghulodeva4093 Even the old 'Go' works fine for those tasks so long as you get the version with the SSD rather than EMMC hard drive. Its not tremendously quick but to be able to run full photoshop/premiere on the go without dragging around a 3-4 times heavier/bulkier notebook is worth having to wait a bit longer for some operations to complete. If thats all you're doing, a Surface pro might be better suited though.
🙋🏽♀️ I sooooo love Lisa, her reviews, AND her amazing en pointe t-shirts! 👏🏾♥️👍🏾
And the art is great!
as a university student in australia i really love my original surface go.
Are you upgrading or will the original be enough for you?
Which university? #justCurious
Use mine for taking notes everyday at uni in Aus. Given that this takes the same keyboard I thought about upgrading but the lack of a significant battery upgrade makes me hesitant.
as a university student in Indonesia i really love my original surface go.
@@carrot272727 Just keep it plugged into one of those usb battery powerbanks, good for all laptops to get you through the day.
Love your T-shirt.
Mine says “I get enough EXERCISE by running from commitments”
where to buy one?My life at the moment despite the quarantine.
You are by far the best computer reviewer on RUclips! Hands down!!!
As owner of Surface Go1 I can say that the hardware is fantastic, the machine is slow, and if a person needs a portable light laptop this is a great little device. Also, people who are writing their language right-to-left will love it, because many apps are working on these machines excellent in comparison to iOS devices. If all that you are looking for is social media, Netflix, RUclips then better go with iPad.
Microsoft now has a nice hybrid mode in Windows for tablets. It takes regular Windows 10 and changes a few things slightly, making it touch-optimized. For example, you can easily drag, resize, and snap windows with touch. The taskbar icons are better spaced, and File Explorer is easier to work with. This is something big to keep in mind, as this feature did not exist when this review came out.
You are the best of RUclips in this tech category when it comes to consistency and criticalness.
Your next t-shirt should say “So, you get the idea.” 🙂
OMG when I was 8 and choosing my first BlackBerry I was watching your videos. Now I'm almost 18 and a decade later I'm watching your videos to decide which tablet to get! :)
Love these reviews and wish and support all new youtubers !
Great review Lisa, but a small constructive point to add: I know a number of very sophisticated users who find the hi-spec model - the "business" version with 256GB SSD, m3 and 8GB RAM - to function as well as a Core i7 16GB RAM with fast Samsung SSD (eg, their Spectre X360 with Ice Lake) for all productivity applications *and Photoshop* That includes full multitasking of productivity apps and many tabs of Chrome. No one suggests that it's "as powerful" as the x360, but that for general business use, including note taking and photo editing, this cooks as fast as a much more powerful computer with more RAM. One of the key differences is that the SSD in this one is competitive with best of breed - or one rung down, but runs circles around the one used in the 128GB models. I don't know how much disk i/o time effects the perception of performance, but the SSDs are night/day. So, at the limits I'm sure the SG2 would huff and puff long before a more powerful laptop, and the screen/keyboard size are what they are - and they are the price you pay for such a tiny/lightweight Windows tablet PC. But for many who value the mini-size, it doesn't seem to be the performance slog that reviews have suggested - including yours - without the evidence. Those who will pay $820 for a little m3 computer may be a small sliver of the market, but I would think that even the m3/8GB/128GB model performs fine for most, if not all, of the use cases I describe above. Maybe this little guy is not getting the props it earns.
I totally agree with you (I have the Go2 128, 8GB Ram and the Brydge keyboard) its a wonderful machine, I would have gotten the business model if I knew it was available at the time.
I have two surface GO (private and professional, both the256 GB version), so I am a convinced user. They really work well. What I miss the most is a 500 GB version or even more. Adding an SD card does not fix it, as connection is lost regularly.
I wish Microsoft would improve their tablet mode and touch friendly apps would increase 😔
They have a really nice hybrid mode now. It keeps the familiar feel and functionality of Windows, but just optimized things for touch--dragging, resizing, and snapping windows, for instance, is a great example.
Crazy we are still getting "new" devices with only 64GB / 128GB of storage.
We're moving more and more to cloud based storage or streaming media. Personally I only need large disks for installing games on a gaming box. On a tablet like this what do you even need the space for?
In the year 2020, 64GB is pretty ridiculous!
DJCR33P We’re also oving to larger file sizes with 4K videos though.
@@NickHunter In a Windows machine, 64 GB is nothing. If you have 128 GB, between the OS, MS Office, a couple more programs, a recovery partition, and a hefty document folder, you will have around 20/30 GB left. I would say 128 GB is the minimum, specially if you are on the go and you cannot rely in having Internet.
It also takes a MicroSD card. 256 or 512 GB cards are cheap nowadays.
Great review! Especially helpful in how you compare the various Surface computers.
I just bought the Surface Go 2 as an ultralight second computer for when I'm away from my home studio. I'm amazed at the performance. I do mostly music/multimedia/programming, and it does a surprisingly good job running my work applications within reasonable expectations of project scale. In other words, I can easily work on parts of my large projects, then add them to the larger versions on my main computer.
It's ridiculously small, but plenty large in my use (I have 69-year old eyes, but also computer glasses focused to computer distance, so no problem with the screen). If I need more screen real estate, I plug in my iPad Pro and use it as a second monitor with Duet Display. (Kind of amazing to have a 2-monitor computer rig that weighs about 2 1/2 pounds.)
The keyboard is small but wonderful. The battery life, as you say, depends on performance settings and, for me, is not all-day generally but is good enough. (It's all-day on Battery Saver, but I usually need the "better" or "best" performance settings for the applications I use. Nice to have that choice!)
As to the pen -- Wacom is fantastic, but for me Windows is a close second and the convenience of having a pen available at all times on a regular computer is pretty wonderful.
I'm really happy I bought it. Reviews like yours are really helpful in making the decision -- thanks for your expertise, thoroughness and fairness!
First time I ever liked a Tech Review :D
Always love your reviews!
Another top-notch review (and t-shirt!), thanks Lisa. Looking forward to your review for the new Dell XPS 15!
The best of tablets... the worst of tablets. That's the best description of the Surface I've ever heard. Great review as always.
Always love your reviews! are you planning something for surface book 3?
Yes, at the end of this week.
MobileTechReview nice! :)
@@mobiletechreview thankyou..would love to see the performance on PS and LR photo editing on tablet mode. Some say the tablet mode had heating issues on surface book 2
@@mobiletechreview awesome, are these provided by microsoft, or is it out of wallet 😬
@@mobiletechreview Please do a smackdown between the Microsoft surface Pro X VS Microsoft surface Pro 7 Vs Microsoft surface Laptop 3
Thanks Lisa, Good Objective Review as Always.
the review is great as usual, but where do we buy the t-shirts :)
I think AMAZON
I wouldn't have even noticed that without seeing your comment but now I want one - so great!
Most times, I’m not in the market for the products that Lisa review. I watch for the shirts. . . And the quips. . .
Come for the tech, stay for the shirt.
A tight balance of good tech info and comedy, wel done
Your reviews are great.
Best Surface Go 2 review, period. Thanks Lisa.
A great use for this that I use it for is as a WISP Technician, its nice to be able to do Ubiquiti radio installs on a roof with a full fledged Windows OS to do config and spectrum analyzing(the ios and android versions are not nearly as good).
Another nice review by Lisa and the t shirt is just awesome.
I have the original surface go ($399 model) - it’s super portable and I use it for digital note taking, web browsing, and online meetings 👍
I noticed when we put the surface pro 7's on display back in November at our store for the first time, the type covers had the same issue. Once they were "broken in" after a week or two, they flexed normally.
Can't wait for your surface book 3 review!
Excellent review. I have the Go2, I have it about a year now, I got the 8GB M3 version and I use it for VBA programming (Excel) Office, Python programming, youtube videos etc...works great. Specifically it was for commuting on the train, but those days are over pretty much for me, but it still gets a lot of use. I have WIndows 11 on it and its pretty good. Now, the biggie...I got the Bridge 10.5 Go+ keyboard and it really shines. It makes it like a real laptop. It adds some weight, but if i was in college now (do I wish!!!) this would be so perfect.
Gave my niece the surface 3 I bought at launch and it still serves properly to this day
I have a surface pro 4 (sp4) and a surface pro 6 (sp6). I can see at sp6, battery is solid, when i put it in sleep mode and wake it up 2 weeks later, battery lost 1%. For sp4 after a week in sleep mode it lost already 5-10%. Not to talk also about how at the same activities sp6 barely gets warm, sp4 gets warmer to hot.
So have no idea how that sp3 behaves if sp4 has so many problems (compared with sp6 and above).
Would it be a good tablet for digital drawing?
Couldn't I get a used Surface pro 6 for the price of the Core M3 but it would be a Pentium i5 or higher, plus more storage and faster SSD than the $650 Go 2? I really don't know who that model is for.
Yes. This is for corporate users with the company paying for it. Really not a consumer device.
If possible get an open-box excellent condition SP7 from Best Buy. Mine only cost $615 (i5, 8 ram, 128 storage). Also, there are sales that include the keyboard for $699...
You could but you wouldn't get USB-C charging and display out. The Go 2's form factor is also a lot smaller than the Pro 6 or Pro 7.
The m3 is for those who want the small footprint of the Go better than the Pro. Microsoft didn't include it in the 1st because it would make sense to go for a Pro for that price instead but, people demanded a more powerful option for the Go's footprint, and here it is. I'm goona upgrade my Go to the m3 Go for sure.
Just thinking the exact thing right when she mentioned it and saw your comment lol
I love that tee! Great review as always 👍🏼
I have watched all the Go 2 reviews, but I have still waited for Lisa to show me, that I want it whatever the results. :D
Lisa, I enjoy your tech videos, especially your delivery of the specs for each device, and that’s why I keep coming back. Even so, my challenge for you is to use the base SG1 &2 for a few days and give us your feedback. Honestly, I think we are all so hung up on specs that we miss the beauty of such devices. The SG line is probably the most misunderstood portable on the market. Reviewers tend to compare it the iPad, which is a bad comparison, even though it can be used as a tablet. Its real use is a portable running Windows, and of course, there are going to be trade-offs. However, compare it (with keyboard) to any PC laptop in the $550 price range on quality, function, camera, usability, and affordability. I think you would be surprised. I can testify because I have used the base model (SG1) for several months. I did not run adobe or use it for gaming, I used it for O365 Apps, Netflix, Canva, MSFT Store Apps(limited), web browsing, video conferencing, and note-taking. I even used it to deliver my Math class lectures. In summary, there are many things it is not, but it worked pretty darn good for the uses I mentioned.
Although for basic workflows the Go 2 Pentium would do them okay it does mean a very limited device if you ever need to do more intensive stuff. An iPad Air (similar price to Go 2 Pentium) would do all the same things with a better performance with a far superior tablet experience and with the Logitech Combo keyboard work well for productivity. Having used both I could not understand why anyone would choose the Go Base over an iPad Air.
I have not tested the m3 version so am still neutral on that though when spending that much it is likely a main device and I think the size then becomes more of a hindrance than useful. In that context the Surface Pro 6 would at a similar price be a far more sensible choice.
Best shirt ever! Great review as always Lisa
The only review that masters
Good for use in EMS(Emergency Medical Service) patient care reports? Only use web-based ePCR. Need BT connection to a printer - Canon TR150. We are very remote in Southwest Az. Yes???
I loved my go 1! I was going to pick this one up, but the price difference between the surface pro 7 and the go 2 m3 was just too small. The pro 7 i5 was the better deal for me, bought it yesterday after waiting to see what the go 2 would bring to the table. I will miss the super small size and lightweight design though.
Lisa, EMMC is 2-3x faster than microSD cards. I'm wondering if you meant to say it is slower than an internal SSD?
So how would these compare to like a surface pro 4? On the used market in tip top shape they sell for less than these still and just seem like they'd be markedly better?
Well, I have a grandson that is going to college in August. I saw him last week and showed him my Go2 and the pen. He fell in love with it so i am going t give it to him after i set it up with his version of Office 365. I am back to my 2018 Surface i5 8/256.
I love your reviews!! :)
I love my surface Go, I think it's not stressed enough that it is the only product with a full OS which has those tiny dimensions. People won't buy it as a first device, I think, but as a second device I can do work on it and carry it in my purse. It's perfect. Given a decent phone cost 500$ nowadays I don't mind spending 700$ for a device who's helping me in my work on the go. I hope I'm not the only one.. ;)
Is good for writing while on the go? How does it res on lap with the keyboard while typing?
Great review Lisa, as always. Definitely helped me decide whether or not this is the tablet for me. Subscribed.
I'm looking for something like this... But the price is too high.
What about the new Huawei matepad pro? Will you try it ?
Kinda different animal being Android. Alas thanks to politics, it's hard for us to get Huawei review units these days.
As Lisa mentioned, bit of a different beast. I think the Matepad Pro will turn out to be a very crippled beast due to the absence of the Google Play store. Android tablets don't enjoy great software support as it is, unfortunately, despite Samsung's best efforts to grow that market.
Hi Lisa, I enjoy watching your reviews, but I was wondering if we will see another review with various performance metrics comparison? Also, the issue with the type cover, is this common across other surface Pros and the Surface Go?
Please do a review of the Surface Book 3 as soon as possible! I appreciate your reviews greatly and am thinking of getting one!
Another great review
I love seeing these reviews of tablets/2-in-1s because you're the only RUclipsr who covers all the bases, from art to productivity to games.
It's good to get your input on the SG2, but the layered price points for the lackluster performance seem to be a bit of a deal breaker for me.
Do you think we could get a review of the new HP Spectre x360 15t, the one with the gtx 1650? I've been wondering how the thermal and pen performance compares to the older 1050 model and if it's worth getting the new gen over the old gen (especially because they've yet to slap a dGPU in anything with Wacom EMR 😔).
will you review the lenovo ideapad duet?
Surface Book 3 and XPS15/17 reviews would be nice too!
Great review as always
You do a great job Lisa!
You compared the pen to the wacom digitizer on the galaxy flex. How about an other similarly priced Lenovo flex which as far as I knows uses wacom?
Love the original Surface GO, I can run two displays over a cable matters USB-C dock (2880x1620 and 2650x1440 both running @60Hz) and have charging and USB 2.0 as well. Pentium Gold performs much better than expected in this kind of setup as long as you get the 8GB model for sufficient video cache.
Love your T-Shirts, Lisa! 🤗🤗
Thanks for the great, to-the-point review! The minute I saw the charger I knew this was a no-go for me. I've had two Surface Pros and have gone through FOUR of these chargers. One quit working after six months, the other three ended up having wires fray around the stem where it goes into the plug that magnetically attaches to the tablet.
how did you store them
Have never had a problem with a Surface device charger. I've used like 4 of them, pretty much all the different sizes & wattages
most underrated youtuber 💯
@ LISA can you please review the new hp envy 17.3? The 2020 version with nvidia geforce mx330 graphics? I just bought one and there isn't tons of info online. Only have a couple weeks to return it. Is this thing worth keeping?
Surface was never a brand meant to be cheap. Surface is Microsoft's HALO device line. It's high end, fashionable, expensive, kinda unique. It's not meant to be a competitor to their OEMs, it's meant to be product category defining, industry pushing tech. It's the bench mark, that OEMs can aspire to and by it's definition it's a brand that leaves plenty of room for OEMs to undercut or fill in the niches (low end and [high end]gaming).
So the Surface Go is for those who appreciate it's use case, and quality. Not for those looking for a cheap computer!
So, is this a good option for a student taking 15 credits? I just need something that’s a little bit faster and more effective than my Dell Inspiron 11. It’s not too bad of a laptop but since all of my classes are remote this semester, I still wanted something portable but a tad faster. Nothing fancy.
I like how you go deeper with display color acuracy than you did in past.. Since this is a thing, maybe you could also run a LatencyMon and some headphone jack output test?
Yet another great review 😇
Lisa it seems you may have gotten a lemon when it comes to the magnets in the hinge of the keyboard as others don't seem to be having that issue
Will there be a future for the Surface Go and Surface Pro X lineups?
I’m very interested in a Microsoft product so the hardware and software connects seamlessly. Great t-shirt!
Is a review for the new 15-inch Spectre x360 (15-eb___) coming soon? There's a Memorial Day sale on HP's website that looks very tempting... hex-core and one of the first laptops with a GTX 1650 Ti. BOB territory. But if fan noise is still an issue I might pass.
I've got the Pentium today, and it seems to work really well, it's not blazing speed but it works, I only use it for class and a few RPG things, plus movies etc. Thanks for the review, always good!
Hello Lisa! Good stuff as always! Is there any chance you could give the Acer Swift 3 2020 version 3:2 version (SF313-52) a review? I can’t find a good review anywhere. Would be awesome if you’re gonna do one! Keep being awesome! :)
Nice.
May I ask what accent is this?
I'm just start learning English accents so I hope to get more information.
Thanks in advance.
that T-shirt is HILARIOUS, i remember laughing this hard during your surface pro 2 review too
So guys, would you recommend even the cheapest model for university usage? Use of Office Pack, google docs and chrome? Maybe 2/3 pages open at the same time?
What r the alternatives to surface go?? Windows OS only.
Best channel hands down
Great review, thank you!
Awesome review thanks! Practical and to the point 🤓
Great review 👍
I get the specs and there are amazing features that are better out there with other models. I use this for my practice and it performs more than I expected. All my Medical Assistants love it. Perhaps, you might want to include the practicality of this little gem for usefulness, instead of your opinion of "lackluster" of specifications. Some use this device for more than just how it compares. We use it to the amazing ability for my practice.
Great product , I like form factor , LTE, great webcam in the right position middle of the tablet ,great microphones, SD card, connect 4k monitor, good keyboard.
I have the original Surface Go. I use Gimp and Inkscape on it and they run fine, it allows me to create vector art anywhere
I don't understand why tablets or laptops need LTE connection. Doesn't every phone come with wifi-hotspot?
Yes but many carriers throttle hotspot speeds. They make more from putting devices on their own separate data plan.
Microsoft should make surface go as powerful as surface go. It's not just for kids. Some professionals like small form factors.
But still no portrait mode stand. Just a slanted edge of the stand would help. Would be great for reading books!
It seems to me that it'd be worth saving up a little more $ and buying the S7 Tab when it comes out instead of this. What do you guys think?
I'm looking for a device to take notes on one note, but form factor between the go and the full surface line is negligible to me. Would anyone recommend the 6 over the go for that reason?
Excellent review! Thanks for posting and creating. And that's a great t-shirt.
“Battlefield 1”
Indeed, we can all agree that that was the most recent Battlefield. And now we’re waiting for Battlefield 6!
Good evening. I have a problem with Surface go 2. It has worked well. My surface charger does't work. I do not know the reason. Then I charge it with Type-C cable. After that it works slowly again and again. It doesn't work properly. One day My surface turn off suddenly and it doesn't turn on. It is charging with New Charger . But it doesn't turn on . What I should do in order to turn it on? Please help me!
Lisa, please review Dell 7210 2 in 1.
Ty for doing what you and doing it so well
Great review. This is for a very specific customer where being small at the lowest cost possible is most important. Many people will be better served by a ultraportable class device with a Ryzen 2 processor. Surface devices are not best in value type devices. You get them because of form factor, not performance or value.
Does support external dock for hdmi , usb , ethernet?
I just got this to take notes in class, is it going to be good for that?
ok which microsfot surface size is lenovo ideapad duet 3?
im looking for a surface go for school but is there a printing port for hw