@@kouhaiii3182 Its not only a matter of a backlight. If there's no backlight it most likely implies that the laptop is very low end, even some very cheap models have backlight, it has become a standard. Now we are talking about a $1000 laptop which has an equally dark keyboard as some of the cheapest laptops out there, its just an absurd regardless of the fact that you can touch-type or not
Totally fair review from Mat. I love Surface laptops too, they are gorgeous and well-built, with Zero bloatware, zero promotions, great-designed minimal system control software that doesn't hog your system in the background with random memory leaks and battery drain, and zero stickers - a truly premium experience that can rival Apple but they were always the fancier or the more expensive choice. This year, Microsoft lost their minds putting in a year-old chip and pricing it to the moon. Can't wait to see their future as when it comes to the PC industry, Surface devices benefit the most from ARM chips.
Dell XPS 9315 also deserves a mention. They haven't updated it with 13th gen, they aren't feeding it enough wattage, so the performance is AWFUL, the port selection is worse than a MacBook Air (and the same as an XPS 13 Plus) and everything is soldered. Literally not worth buying, like this laptop.
I really am waiting for Windows Laptop with ARM. Seeing how Google has launched their Google Play games for Windows, we know Google tries to get gaming with Windows ARM, especially when most, if not all, games in Steam are designed for x86
It is a short, but one of the best videos he has made so far. It is so accurate, and on point. I have seen a ton of videos for the same product and people have tried hard to justify its price so much. But here, he was brutally honest and I respect that. Saved so many people from stupidly spending their money.
I literally bought a brand new Dell xps 15 with a dedicated nvidia gpu, i7, 16gb ram, 512gb ssd for around $990 including tax during the back to school sale in August on the Dell website. Are people seriously paying 1k for the Laptop Go? That is a total rip off.
@@generalardi The XPS 13 is an option I think. It has a really small foot print. But I wouldn't buy the new XPSs anymore, they're sh*t. Also, I think for a laptop that small I doubt most people will be doing serious work on it. A chromebook might be the best bet.
@@Spajdi2310 XPS is fine. If you can get it under 1k then get it. If not, don't bother. It's not worth anything more than a grand at max. Especially the 2024 versions. Those genuinely suck. No ram upgrades, capacitive function row, a single ssd instead of two. It's total garbage.
I'm part of the niche community that really likes these smaller compact laptops going all the way back to the netbook days. I still own the 1st gen Surface Laptop Go and the only compact laptop that resembled this was Apple's old 12in retina macbook. A large tablet+keyboard case has become the norm nowadays. For those like me that prefer a traditional laptop but still want a small compact device, the Surface Laptop Go line might be our last hope.
I like how he made the presentation so that I don't get scammed. Seriously a minute ago I was browsing MS store on this laptop, and was surprised at the price and specs.
You are wrong right off the bat on the price. It is 799 for the 8gb/256gb model. I will explain later why you are even more wronger at the end. But you being wrong keeps on going after that - People who want this do not want the Mac OS nonsense because they usually have real needs and real jobs that need real programs not named after the animal kingdom. They want something light. This one is light and extremely pick up and go. This is the type of machine you reach for even before a tablet since it is so compact and you get full control with a keyboard etc. Yes backlight absolutely should have been on there but not a deal breaker due to the other positives. It has touch screen which the Macbooks do not. Yes, it is a big deal and very useful option. I can sign documents with a standard capacitative pen stylus directly. It is one of the RARE machines that has a square format for those that actually use their machines for work spreadsheets and emails etc. and not just for binge watching. I use a VMware machine on top of the Windows and it works smoothly. It has a legacy USB port that allows your old items to stay in commission in a pinch. It has good battery life with quick USB C charging (powerbanks make this even less critical) It is an OEM machine from Microsoft with full support. This is the perfect machine currently in the market for someone like me that keeps the machine docked to a full sized monitor and keyboard set up and then unhooks from the USB C and hits the road or takes it to bed to read poor one dimensiional reviews on RUclips. Back to the price. I got the 799 version for 719 as a student type offer which is not that hard to get on MS site. Then I was given an additional special 10% refund discount and expedited shipping. I get to use a sleek machine, that is light, touchscreen, square format, long battery and backed by the OEM maker. At home with a nice monitor setup and a light weight travel companion for my airplane bag or around town. It exists for the correct audience. Like me.
This is best review here someone that understands the implications. The last that was similar was Lenovo X201 but this MS go even has better aspect ratio. However the X201 was much more expandable and had keyboard and mouse buttons.
You're missing the point. This is for the person who has a desktop and possibly a larger laptop already. Go3 is the coffee shop laptop. The travel laptop. Chrages with usbc phone charger (65w).
This. I have a 17 inch XPS with an NVidia card. But it's over five pounds, and I leave it at the office usually. I got the Surface Laptop Go 3 to write with in a coffee shop or in the evenings at home. Works great for that, and it is beautiful. Little over $600 open box (for the 8 gig version).
Glad to see someone call MS out for this. I've been noticing this for years and it's always a shame that MS thinks because Apple charges a premium that they can do it too.
Thing is, most people aren't tech savvy, they just go for what looks the shiniest & not what's best suited for their use-case or best bang for the buck. So many RUclips reviewers feed this 'look how shiny it is' view of the world sadly.
Just to say, the form factor and build on these are great like a better-built netbook or an old macbook 12". but not at $1k. But if that's what you want, absolutely go for an open-box laptop go 2 at around $450 (i5/8/128). Temper your performance expectations, but it's useful, light, and easy to travel.
Love this style of role playing review xD thanks for bringing devices like these to our attention that no other reviewer seems to be doing. You're the best MATT!!! 🙌
Yep this is the trick non-techy people into getting a product that looks aesthetically pleasing with the Microsoft branding. Google doing some of it's own finessing with their new Gaming Chromebook line up. They even got celebrities endorsing it in commercials. Please do a review of that hahah
Gaming chromebook, i have no idea why that even exist, even if game streaming service can provide 120 hz plus, you need god like internet speed which is expensive and in that case you are very likely able to afford proper gaming or high perfomance laptop, if you dont want gaming laptop, any 400$ plus laptop will do game streaming very well as long you are not being ripped off
For those wanting a well built thin and light laptop for under $999, even the Macbook Air M1 would be a much, much better option than this and regularly goes on sale for $750
@@NoName-cx3gk noone understand this MS go laptop. The aspect ratio is different you can't even compare. This Go is great for vertical reading such as coding.
Good and honest review. My work sent me a Surface Go 3 laptop and I hate it... the charging plug keeps falling out and it's underpowered for driving multiple monitors in a work at home setup.
I use a 12 inch Macbook as a secondary device, and it's amazing that it got almost all these things right back in 2015. Fanless design, accurate 1440p screen, keyboard backlighting, A+ trackpad, plus good battery life, in a very thin, high quality chassis. The performance is pretty unusable for anything but the stock apps and some web browsing nowadays, but that mac with a recent M-series chip and more modern bezels would probably be the ideal 12 inch device.
The 1 thing that surface overcome normal laptop is "the size" 12inch. It's small and easy to carry. Asus ZenBook s13 13.3inch might can replace with better spec but size still bigger.
I have a surface laptop go 2. I got it open box for like 3-400 bucks. I5 8 gb of ram 128 SSD. I use it basically as a chromebook- email, youtube, taxes. It can run real software if I need it too, but often really don't. For what I paid I am happy with it. I would be annoyed if I paid retail for sure
I have a lenovo slim pro 7, I love it, its quite fast for my needs and I won the gpu overclocking lottery because I was able to clock mine 320hz more. One of my friends got the surface go and he also hates how slow it is
I'm an ICT engineer. I've had a couple of Surface products personally, and I was also part of an organisation which rolled out hundreds of Surface Pro 7 machines to school children and teachers as we switched over to hybrid lessons. Whilst, with any device it's expected to have a good volume of machines which will fail for a variety of reasons, especially when loaded up for specific use with additional hardware and third party bridging to make them all compatible, it just felt like I was sending a disproportional amount of them back to Microsoft for replacement. Overheating, glass warping, bricking. My personal Surface products have also had problems. Yet despite all this just last week I'm trailing a Surface Pro 8 as my work device, hoping it would change my negative experiences with these devices because they're just so freaking cool! I really want to like the Surface line up of products! Come on, Microsoft. Keep at it but do better!
@@gurugamer8632 Yeah no doubt there are a lot of people who are very happy. Back then I wasn't returning all devices, not even 25%, and there was a good chunk of people who like the devices versatility. They are certainly a pain to fix, there's no repairability to them, not quite the iPad level but pretty bad. The device I've been using as my work pc was an absolute ass to set up. I had to rebuild the OS and onboard it three times over a few days because things weren't working properly. I have been using it since then and I do love it.
Ive had the surface pro 7 for like 3 going onto 4 years and it is horrible 😭, the battery life is crap, the clip on keyboard is basically falling apart and one of the hinges is broken.. i do NOT treat my laptop badly and its .. not good right now 💔 im so sad because it was a rewlly cool concept!! And it’d be wasted if i were to buy a new laptop and abandon my surface pen :(( (ALSO the pen sometimes just. Doesnt work, and the eraser part doesnt work anymore 😭 and freaks out soemtimes!!) [sorry for the rant 😭😭]
@@liieo_ I agree, it's a really cool concept for a device, and I know how disappointed and frustrated you must be. I replaced my ear cups on my Surface headphones 2 last night, that was damn right difficult.
I got a Microsoft surface laptop go 1st edition when it came out for $550 for the 8gb 128 model. Most people who bought this laptop got a similar deal. Nobody would pay such a higher price when the laptop surface 3 or now 5 is priced at the same.
Thanks for making a short video and not followin/milking the algorithm 👍🏻 However, I am certain 99% of the buyers will be able to see the display before taking one home
I got it as a second laptop for work on the go (my main laptop is large and much more powerful). I have to say, it's a wonderful little laptop for the price I was able to buy it for ($575). The only problem is a lack of backlit keyboard,
The backlight and color accuracy matter extremely little to me. The other laptops you mentioned are all bigger than this one. This laptop is more powerful than chromebooks with the same dimensions. No user upgradable ram and storage is anti consumerist. If the price was $500-$700 this might be worth it. Maybe in a few years when the price goes down.
I bought a surface laptop go 2 a year ago. Used, almost new, perfect condition for 350€. I love the keyboard and design, that was the reason I bought it. But I have to say 12 inch is smaller than you’d expect.
That’s my only problem I tried over 30 different laptops and no other keyboard came as close to the MacBook as this laptop and is my biggest reason for wanting it. Every other keyboard feel clunky compared to this
Agree completely with this excellent review. Unfortunately, over the pond here in ol’ Blighty we can’t get anything like the BestBuy bargains at the price points indicated. For example, the very good Zenbook 14X is over £1,200 here in the UK right now, and that is with a discount, albeit in an i9 and 1TB set up but still we can’t get hold of any other spec for less. But I would never recommend this Microsoft laptop for the price anyway as the competition is still better even when equally ludicrously priced. Love your reviews, Matthew. Keep them going!
all of the "cheaper" laptops are 14-15 in laptops and you are comparing it to a 12.4 in laptop, it is not the same thing. Some people like me would gladly pay extra for a smaller screen. Cheap fast 15 in laptops are a dime a dozen, the larger form factor allows for better cooling and better performance/hardware. I am having a very difficult time finding a 11-12 in laptop with good performance. The 13 in M1 MB Air is the best option but still too big
if you are a student and spending $999 for laptop consider buying macbook air 13 with m1 chip. it is not the best but if you are not in specific area that requires good performance you will be good to go. the reason i advocate for macbook is that it has all the things student would need. good screen, keyboard, trackpad, and especially the battery. i have picked up one used and only complaint i have is how delicate the screen is. it scratches way to easily and gets dirty all the time. on top of that it is hard to clean. edit: also the storage situation is really bad with apple. i didn't mind 256gb version since only thing i'm going to store is pdf files.
i got the tablet version for 200 and it surpassed all expectations! screen is sharp af (most likely just due to density), keyboard cover is backlit (got used for $25). also facial recognition yet to fail me, i can charge it with a damn phone charger, and the pros go on and on -- perfect secondary/on the go tiny win11 laptop
For the next iterations, I think MS should go the Apple way, with their own custom ARM processor, with a better display and keyboard lightning. It probably then would be a some custom Snapdragon chip. Too bad, other manufacturers will also start making ARM based Windows laptops soon.
For something that probably cost Microsoft $200 to make, they always cut corners on every product they sale. Geez!!!! Make it right the first time and no one will complain.
Microsoft was awesome upto SP8. What happened after? Due to the insane amount of money they charge for ram, SP9 starts at 2K AUD for 16gb. My 8gb SP9 can't even surf the web. After booting i've a few hundred megs left and a few hundred megs cached.
bought the surface laptop go 2 for 450 bucks cad on sale last year refurbished (i have now had this for a year,) it does everything i need it to do for schoolwork, but a backlit keyboard would be nice and is a necessity these days i practically appreciate the laptop cuz i got it on sale plus it was certified refurbished, if it was at retail price i would've been a bit upset
@@kipa_chu i’d rather stomach a macOS and get amazing battery life and efficiency than most Windows laptop that won’t even last a couple hours of medium usage
I bought one of these from Best Buy off the Open Box shelf for 300 bucks. The story was that it was "returned for not having a charger in the box"... I already had a surface charger so no big deal for me... I bought it, took it home, slapped Arch Linux on it, And I'm really happy with it. It's a great little road warrior, does conference calls, media, plays Stardew and Minecraft with no issues, and is comfortable on the lap, on a table, or in a backpack... But yea, I do think this satisfaction is shaped by the discount... OK... I just realized mine is a Surface Laptop go 2... but they seem indistinguishable... regardless, yea, if it had cost me 1000$, I guess I would have stole the charger and sent it back too, but for 300 bucks, I'm quite happy.
Do not buy anything running Windows costing less 1000USD. They gonna slow down in max one year and will need replacement in two years. Get a mid/high level Chromebook it will stay fast until you replace it 5-6 years down the road.
@@JohnCena-um5uo fast, fully secure, fully integrated with my android phone, bug free with seamless updates without the need to wait for the software to be installed, runs all my business apps without the need to look for/update drivers, and If I need something really specialized with the press of a button I can use Linux. Bullcrap my ass...
@@JohnCena-um5uono bullcrap. Chromebooks are made to last long. I had mine from 2014-2022. That’s when they stopped security updates for it. My Chromebook stayed strong. That’s 8 years of amazing-ness.
Hi Mathew. I just subscribed to your channel. Great review. Can you recommend a 10-12 inch laptop better than surface go? I feel microsoft is targeting people who are specially interested on smaller laptops. Sadly i havent find a decent competitor on this size segment.
Love my Surface Laptop Go 3 and it’s perfect for playing The Sims 4 on, I could imagine a Go 4 with a entry-level Snapdragon chip, then it wouldn’t be bargain-basement anymore. Replaced my first-gen Surface Laptop which can’t be upgraded to Win 11.
It's such a shame. Either go all in and make it a 1080p display and a backlit keyboard that lovely chassis and design deserves or make it 600-700 and let people make those compromises to save a few.
I still have my Surface Pro 4 and it's running Windows 11 23H2, no flickering. For now it runs fine cos all I need is the edge browser and internet connection
I totally agree with you, it’s good as a sub $500, but at the price it’s in, that’s just sad!! And they get surprised when their surface line is not doing good! It’s just sad what they do
Even the surface laptop 4and 5 are better deals at 600-799 range respectively. That’s even from Best Buy and Microsoft directly. You’re better off getting the full laptop or just surface pro line then the go.
Well, with the death of the 11in MBA and the 12in MacBook, as well as the Netbook category in general, this is the smallest laptop you can get these days that runs Microsoft Office (locally). So Microsoft can basically charge as much as they want, because what else are you going to buy at that size?
Bad take imo. I agree the price point is too high, fwiw it NEEDS to come down to by a couple hundred, though I disagree with almost everything else. What's important to keep in mind with this laptop is its target audience: students and people who need a light laptop on the go, for acessing the internet and using word processors. The resolution is *fine*, people are losing their crap over something that really doesn't matter at this screen size. The backlit keyboard is also completely irrelevant imo, unless you're some granny who doesn't touch type, and presses each individual key with their index finger like a fossil. As for the the specs; they also don't really matter for a laptop like this, it's not designed to be a 15 or 17 inch powerhouse gaming laptop, it's designed to be a lightweight laptop for students and people who just need a laptop for browsing the internet and word processing. It's basically the descendant of the netbook. It doesn't need a ton of storage, what are you storing on it anyway??? A bunch of word documents? This is a bad review imo, as it completely misses the point of the product and its target audience.
And that's not to mention that the Surface Go series battery life is TERRIBLE when under even modest load. My SG2 dies after a ballpark 3 hours if I do anything more than web browsing and light office work (not Powerpoint, I can kill the battery in about 2.5 to 2.45 hours if I'm working on a Powerpoint).
I know what the problem is. It is not a mac. I have an MacBook air from 2013. With a poor TN screen an a slow intel processor and a tiny 128gb ssd. People bought massive these machines. I never have seen people complaining. For 75% of the whole world. One of these things are capable enough. Microsoft makes 3 times the same thing and you call this garbage. Go back to your silicon or 4k gaming beast laptop. This thing is a beauty on its own. There are people enough that doesn't play games. Compile code or render videos. You don't understand nothing if you make a video like this. I have a 400$ Asus vivobook with a poor celeron processor and a 17 inch TN screen. Does everything for me. And I am happy with it. Specs and raw power isn't anything. You have to learn this. That are enough people in the word that aren't have a need to spend 2000+ on a stupid computer. What you can trow into the bin after a few years because it is apple or an expansive gaming PC. Really guys. Stop this nonsense.
This is really unfortunate but this has been the case with some laptops for some time. I had looked for an ultrabook for uni, something light that I could use instead of my phone for looking at docs and ended up with a gaming laptop that I never used for gaming. The internals were just so much better (although more costly, I think worth it). I now have a convertible chromebook for flights and general travel and its not even that much lighter but the smaller form factor is great.
Surface laptops have always been 1 generation behind the competition, and quite expensive for what they offered. I don't understand what Microsoft is doing.
Hi there, I want to know if the Asus 15" OLED Laptop, Asus Zenbook 14X, and the Lenovo Yoga Slim 7 Pro you showcase have at least backlight keyboards or not.
Surface needs to step up their game. They have the best designs, build quality and OS with zero bloatware. But I hope they provide better hardware specifications at more affordable pricing. At a $1000 other OEMs have a lot more to offer
if its $700 it is ok. i got my laptop go 2 almost a year ago, I hate its hot, the screen is reflective, it doesnt have backlit, it cant connect to multiple external display (it actually can but 2nd monitor runs in 30HZ), its noisy where the fan always kicks in. BUT the form factor is good, i like the touch screen, its 3:2, it has all the ports i need without need of dongle, it looks nice like a macbook. I have a serious love and hate relationship with this product.
If you want a Surface laptop for less than $1k, better to get an older version of the Surface Laptop without the "Go," like the Surface Laptop 4. But really you are better off with that Zenbook 14X if you can get it for $699.
Im actually very happy with it tbh. Bought it for my client together with a HP Elitebook 640 G11. Yes, the HP is the better option but I'm keeping the Surface for myself. I personally like the smaller form factor a lot more and it has touchscreen which the HP does not. Do have to note client is/was using crappy Terra/Wortmann laptops so everything will be an upgrade😅
I have the original laptop go and absolutely love the size. It's a pretty reliable laptop with great build quality. However, the laptop is definitely slow and the battery is awful (I'm lucky to get like two hours of usage). Any recommendations on other laptops that are similar size?
Samsung Book3 360 Laptop, 13.3 Inch, 16GB RAM, 512GB Storage, Intel Core I7, ASUS Vivobook S15 OLED M5506UA 15.6" 3K 120Hz OLED Laptop (AMD Ryzen 9-8945H, 16GB RAM, 1TB PCIe SSD, UK Layout RGB Backlit Keyboard, Windows 11 Home). or Macbook M3. Hi I just threw this laptop from microsoft out of the amzon basket, and my question is for you which of these by me would you recommend. ?
this thing should cost $649... but because its a "Surface" device... microsoft probably gonna put $699 for this laptop.... but no, they charge you $999 for this bulsh!t...
Hi!!! 💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕 I was tempted to get a Microsoft too, but a friend recommended HP. And I bought from Amazon an HP250 G10, 15.6 inches, with 64 GB RAM and 4000 GB SSD, windows 11, Office 2021 PRO, for only 900 euros. It doesn't have a backlit keyboard, but I don't mind. I really like that it has an anti-glare system, so it can also be used in sunlight. And I really like that it's ultra-fast, the display doesn't shine, that is, you don't have the image reflected in a mirror, as I've seen on other laptops. I am very happy with this HP modell.
I don’t even want this laptop and yet this is the best review I’ve watched (granted it’s the only review I’ve watched because, like I said, I don’t want this laptop), but it made me laugh while being informative! Love your channel, love the knowledge and humour, just subbed ✌️
No backlight on a laptop is just unacceptable nowadays. Its just immensely practical aspect. Let alone everything else mentioned at $1000
True, every brand new laptop in my country have keyboard backlight if it cost 500$ or more
is keyboard backlight that much of a deal-breaker when the buyer knows how to touchtype. the lower specs i can understand
@@kouhaiii3182 Its not only a matter of a backlight. If there's no backlight it most likely implies that the laptop is very low end, even some very cheap models have backlight, it has become a standard. Now we are talking about a $1000 laptop which has an equally dark keyboard as some of the cheapest laptops out there, its just an absurd regardless of the fact that you can touch-type or not
@@kouhaiii3182seriously I find keyboard backlighting so distracting, rgb or not, its just lame and another fluff.
Why does anyone need to read the keys? Ever heard of touch typing?
This is how all tech reviews should be done! Just visualising a customer scenario going to a store or shopping online and building a script around it.
Totally fair review from Mat. I love Surface laptops too, they are gorgeous and well-built, with Zero bloatware, zero promotions, great-designed minimal system control software that doesn't hog your system in the background with random memory leaks and battery drain, and zero stickers - a truly premium experience that can rival Apple but they were always the fancier or the more expensive choice. This year, Microsoft lost their minds putting in a year-old chip and pricing it to the moon.
Can't wait to see their future as when it comes to the PC industry, Surface devices benefit the most from ARM chips.
Dell XPS 9315 also deserves a mention. They haven't updated it with 13th gen, they aren't feeding it enough wattage, so the performance is AWFUL, the port selection is worse than a MacBook Air (and the same as an XPS 13 Plus) and everything is soldered. Literally not worth buying, like this laptop.
I really am waiting for Windows Laptop with ARM.
Seeing how Google has launched their Google Play games for Windows, we know Google tries to get gaming with Windows ARM, especially when most, if not all, games in Steam are designed for x86
@@cameronbosch1213the xps is great but unfortunately they do come with a lot of dell's bloatware
There is only 2%-5%percent difference between 12th and 13th
Zero Bloatware ?? Windows stock is full of bloatware
It is a short, but one of the best videos he has made so far. It is so accurate, and on point. I have seen a ton of videos for the same product and people have tried hard to justify its price so much. But here, he was brutally honest and I respect that. Saved so many people from stupidly spending their money.
I literally bought a brand new Dell xps 15 with a dedicated nvidia gpu, i7, 16gb ram, 512gb ssd for around $990 including tax during the back to school sale in August on the Dell website. Are people seriously paying 1k for the Laptop Go? That is a total rip off.
You also bought a 15in laptop. If you want something smaller than 13in, and you don't want a Chromebook, this is kinda your only option.
@@generalardi The XPS 13 is an option I think. It has a really small foot print. But I wouldn't buy the new XPSs anymore, they're sh*t. Also, I think for a laptop that small I doubt most people will be doing serious work on it. A chromebook might be the best bet.
@@jayrollo1352 Why XPS is bad? I want to buy model 9310
@@Spajdi2310 XPS is fine. If you can get it under 1k then get it. If not, don't bother. It's not worth anything more than a grand at max. Especially the 2024 versions. Those genuinely suck. No ram upgrades, capacitive function row, a single ssd instead of two. It's total garbage.
@@jayrollo1352I decided to buy Surface Laptop Go 2 with 16gb RAM. I found it for around 650$ so it’s not too bad
I'm part of the niche community that really likes these smaller compact laptops going all the way back to the netbook days. I still own the 1st gen Surface Laptop Go and the only compact laptop that resembled this was Apple's old 12in retina macbook. A large tablet+keyboard case has become the norm nowadays. For those like me that prefer a traditional laptop but still want a small compact device, the Surface Laptop Go line might be our last hope.
If price isn’t an issue consider an xps 13
@@yodag2859 Not same aspect ratio
I like how he made the presentation so that I don't get scammed. Seriously a minute ago I was browsing MS store on this laptop, and was surprised at the price and specs.
You are wrong right off the bat on the price. It is 799 for the 8gb/256gb model. I will explain later why you are even more wronger at the end.
But you being wrong keeps on going after that -
People who want this do not want the Mac OS nonsense because they usually have real needs and real jobs that need real programs not named after the animal kingdom.
They want something light. This one is light and extremely pick up and go. This is the type of machine you reach for even before a tablet since it is so compact and you get full control with a keyboard etc. Yes backlight absolutely should have been on there but not a deal breaker due to the other positives.
It has touch screen which the Macbooks do not. Yes, it is a big deal and very useful option. I can sign documents with a standard capacitative pen stylus directly.
It is one of the RARE machines that has a square format for those that actually use their machines for work spreadsheets and emails etc. and not just for binge watching.
I use a VMware machine on top of the Windows and it works smoothly.
It has a legacy USB port that allows your old items to stay in commission in a pinch.
It has good battery life with quick USB C charging (powerbanks make this even less critical)
It is an OEM machine from Microsoft with full support.
This is the perfect machine currently in the market for someone like me that keeps the machine docked to a full sized monitor and keyboard set up and then unhooks from the USB C and hits the road or takes it to bed to read poor one dimensiional reviews on RUclips.
Back to the price.
I got the 799 version for 719 as a student type offer which is not that hard to get on MS site.
Then I was given an additional special 10% refund discount and expedited shipping.
I get to use a sleek machine, that is light, touchscreen, square format, long battery and backed by the OEM maker. At home with a nice monitor setup and a light weight travel companion for my airplane bag or around town.
It exists for the correct audience.
Like me.
can we use stylus on it?
This is best review here someone that understands the implications. The last that was similar was Lenovo X201 but this MS go even has better aspect ratio. However the X201 was much more expandable and had keyboard and mouse buttons.
Came looking for this. Especially since ima buy a bundle with full keyboard, arc mouse and laptop for $400 on offer up brand nee
You're missing the point. This is for the person who has a desktop and possibly a larger laptop already. Go3 is the coffee shop laptop. The travel laptop. Chrages with usbc phone charger (65w).
This. I have a 17 inch XPS with an NVidia card. But it's over five pounds, and I leave it at the office usually. I got the Surface Laptop Go 3 to write with in a coffee shop or in the evenings at home. Works great for that, and it is beautiful. Little over $600 open box (for the 8 gig version).
"I can't even recommend it to my grandmother" sums up everything 😹
Glad to see someone call MS out for this. I've been noticing this for years and it's always a shame that MS thinks because Apple charges a premium that they can do it too.
This is what some people don’t fully understand. It’s not just the brand it’s what you get for your money.
Thing is, most people aren't tech savvy, they just go for what looks the shiniest & not what's best suited for their use-case or best bang for the buck. So many RUclips reviewers feed this 'look how shiny it is' view of the world sadly.
Most people go for brand cause thats all they knw. They know a popular brand and sssume it has to be the best choice cuz the knw tht brand
Just to say, the form factor and build on these are great like a better-built netbook or an old macbook 12". but not at $1k. But if that's what you want, absolutely go for an open-box laptop go 2 at around $450 (i5/8/128). Temper your performance expectations, but it's useful, light, and easy to travel.
it's absolutely the high price tab that makes it a bad deal
Love this style of role playing review xD thanks for bringing devices like these to our attention that no other reviewer seems to be doing. You're the best MATT!!! 🙌
Yep this is the trick non-techy people into getting a product that looks aesthetically pleasing with the Microsoft branding. Google doing some of it's own finessing with their new Gaming Chromebook line up. They even got celebrities endorsing it in commercials. Please do a review of that hahah
Gaming chromebook, i have no idea why that even exist, even if game streaming service can provide 120 hz plus, you need god like internet speed which is expensive and in that case you are very likely able to afford proper gaming or high perfomance laptop, if you dont want gaming laptop, any 400$ plus laptop will do game streaming very well as long you are not being ripped off
is this pc good for gaming?
For those wanting a well built thin and light laptop for under $999, even the Macbook Air M1 would be a much, much better option than this and regularly goes on sale for $750
MacBooks don't even have a touchscreen
@@NoName-cx3gk noone understand this MS go laptop. The aspect ratio is different you can't even compare. This Go is great for vertical reading such as coding.
Good and honest review. My work sent me a Surface Go 3 laptop and I hate it... the charging plug keeps falling out and it's underpowered for driving multiple monitors in a work at home setup.
Fair review. Just bought my niece a Asus Zenbook 14x with i7-13700H, 16 GB RAM, 512GB SSD for $749 + tax. Fingers crossed.
Matt with the nice way of being savage 😂
lol sometimes you just have to say it as it is
Great narrative storytelling! Do this more often. It's very engaging!
I use a 12 inch Macbook as a secondary device, and it's amazing that it got almost all these things right back in 2015. Fanless design, accurate 1440p screen, keyboard backlighting, A+ trackpad, plus good battery life, in a very thin, high quality chassis. The performance is pretty unusable for anything but the stock apps and some web browsing nowadays, but that mac with a recent M-series chip and more modern bezels would probably be the ideal 12 inch device.
@undifini I definitely want to buy that one especially for daily reading material.
Sadly they don't sell it now!
The 1 thing that surface overcome normal laptop is "the size" 12inch. It's small and easy to carry.
Asus ZenBook s13 13.3inch might can replace with better spec but size still bigger.
I have a surface laptop go 2. I got it open box for like 3-400 bucks. I5 8 gb of ram 128 SSD. I use it basically as a chromebook- email, youtube, taxes. It can run real software if I need it too, but often really don't. For what I paid I am happy with it. I would be annoyed if I paid retail for sure
I have a lenovo slim pro 7, I love it, its quite fast for my needs and I won the gpu overclocking lottery because I was able to clock mine 320hz more. One of my friends got the surface go and he also hates how slow it is
I'm an ICT engineer. I've had a couple of Surface products personally, and I was also part of an organisation which rolled out hundreds of Surface Pro 7 machines to school children and teachers as we switched over to hybrid lessons. Whilst, with any device it's expected to have a good volume of machines which will fail for a variety of reasons, especially when loaded up for specific use with additional hardware and third party bridging to make them all compatible, it just felt like I was sending a disproportional amount of them back to Microsoft for replacement. Overheating, glass warping, bricking. My personal Surface products have also had problems. Yet despite all this just last week I'm trailing a Surface Pro 8 as my work device, hoping it would change my negative experiences with these devices because they're just so freaking cool! I really want to like the Surface line up of products! Come on, Microsoft. Keep at it but do better!
Been using surface pro 8 for two years no issues
@@gurugamer8632 Yeah no doubt there are a lot of people who are very happy. Back then I wasn't returning all devices, not even 25%, and there was a good chunk of people who like the devices versatility. They are certainly a pain to fix, there's no repairability to them, not quite the iPad level but pretty bad. The device I've been using as my work pc was an absolute ass to set up. I had to rebuild the OS and onboard it three times over a few days because things weren't working properly. I have been using it since then and I do love it.
Ive had the surface pro 7 for like 3 going onto 4 years and it is horrible 😭, the battery life is crap, the clip on keyboard is basically falling apart and one of the hinges is broken.. i do NOT treat my laptop badly and its .. not good right now 💔 im so sad because it was a rewlly cool concept!! And it’d be wasted if i were to buy a new laptop and abandon my surface pen :(( (ALSO the pen sometimes just. Doesnt work, and the eraser part doesnt work anymore 😭 and freaks out soemtimes!!) [sorry for the rant 😭😭]
@@liieo_ I agree, it's a really cool concept for a device, and I know how disappointed and frustrated you must be. I replaced my ear cups on my Surface headphones 2 last night, that was damn right difficult.
I appreciate the honesty here, Matthew.
I got a Microsoft surface laptop go 1st edition when it came out for $550 for the 8gb 128 model. Most people who bought this laptop got a similar deal. Nobody would pay such a higher price when the laptop surface 3 or now 5 is priced at the same.
Thanks for making a short video and not followin/milking the algorithm 👍🏻
However, I am certain 99% of the buyers will be able to see the display before taking one home
I got it as a second laptop for work on the go (my main laptop is large and much more powerful). I have to say, it's a wonderful little laptop for the price I was able to buy it for ($575). The only problem is a lack of backlit keyboard,
The backlight and color accuracy matter extremely little to me. The other laptops you mentioned are all bigger than this one. This laptop is more powerful than chromebooks with the same dimensions. No user upgradable ram and storage is anti consumerist. If the price was $500-$700 this might be worth it. Maybe in a few years when the price goes down.
Correction. The price has dropped by half on Amazon so might get it
Just a little mix up ... At 6:15 you mentioned 16 GB of RAM instead of 8 GB of RAM. Regards.
I bought a surface laptop go 2 a year ago. Used, almost new, perfect condition for 350€.
I love the keyboard and design, that was the reason I bought it.
But I have to say 12 inch is smaller than you’d expect.
That’s my only problem I tried over 30 different laptops and no other keyboard came as close to the MacBook as this laptop and is my biggest reason for wanting it. Every other keyboard feel clunky compared to this
Agree completely with this excellent review. Unfortunately, over the pond here in ol’ Blighty we can’t get anything like the BestBuy bargains at the price points indicated. For example, the very good Zenbook 14X is over £1,200 here in the UK right now, and that is with a discount, albeit in an i9 and 1TB set up but still we can’t get hold of any other spec for less. But I would never recommend this Microsoft laptop for the price anyway as the competition is still better even when equally ludicrously priced. Love your reviews, Matthew. Keep them going!
all of the "cheaper" laptops are 14-15 in laptops and you are comparing it to a 12.4 in laptop, it is not the same thing. Some people like me would gladly pay extra for a smaller screen. Cheap fast 15 in laptops are a dime a dozen, the larger form factor allows for better cooling and better performance/hardware. I am having a very difficult time finding a 11-12 in laptop with good performance. The 13 in M1 MB Air is the best option but still too big
so facts, OVERPRICED!!, super like how you explain & compare things 👍🏻
Windows laptop used to be known as 'cheaper than apple'. Now, I see so many 1080p windows laptops priced more than the MacBook Air.
if you are a student and spending $999 for laptop consider buying macbook air 13 with m1 chip. it is not the best but if you are not in specific area that requires good performance you will be good to go. the reason i advocate for macbook is that it has all the things student would need. good screen, keyboard, trackpad, and especially the battery. i have picked up one used and only complaint i have is how delicate the screen is. it scratches way to easily and gets dirty all the time. on top of that it is hard to clean.
edit: also the storage situation is really bad with apple. i didn't mind 256gb version since only thing i'm going to store is pdf files.
i got the tablet version for 200 and it surpassed all expectations! screen is sharp af (most likely just due to density), keyboard cover is backlit (got used for $25). also facial recognition yet to fail me, i can charge it with a damn phone charger, and the pros go on and on -- perfect secondary/on the go tiny win11 laptop
Absolutely banger of a review. Thanks Matthew!
For the next iterations, I think MS should go the Apple way, with their own custom ARM processor, with a better display and keyboard lightning. It probably then would be a some custom Snapdragon chip. Too bad, other manufacturers will also start making ARM based Windows laptops soon.
They have been trying since pro3 arms is very limited to window
That’s like 8years ago
Panos Panay is gone and Msft doesn't know how to upgrade a simple laptop.
Smh
Arm on windows is still rubbish now, Microsoft need insane amount of work to do to make arm make sense on windows,
Maybe Meteor Lake will fix things.
For something that probably cost Microsoft $200 to make, they always cut corners on every product they sale. Geez!!!! Make it right the first time and no one will complain.
I have looked at these Microsoft laptops, and at what they cost here in South Africa I would never even think of buying one.
Microsoft was awesome upto SP8. What happened after?
Due to the insane amount of money they charge for ram, SP9 starts at 2K AUD for 16gb. My 8gb SP9 can't even surf the web. After booting i've a few hundred megs left and a few hundred megs cached.
bought the surface laptop go 2 for 450 bucks cad on sale last year refurbished (i have now had this for a year,) it does everything i need it to do for schoolwork, but a backlit keyboard would be nice and is a necessity these days
i practically appreciate the laptop cuz i got it on sale plus it was certified refurbished, if it was at retail price i would've been a bit upset
the surface has always been so sexy but there's always something... off... about every model. release me from HP jail
What to buy instead:
M1 Macbook Air at $749
M2 Macbook Air 13" at $899
These laptops are 100x better especially the battery life and performance
because macOS sucks ?
@@kipa_chu i’d rather stomach a macOS and get amazing battery life and efficiency than most Windows laptop that won’t even last a couple hours of medium usage
It's not the same display size
I bought one of these from Best Buy off the Open Box shelf for 300 bucks. The story was that it was "returned for not having a charger in the box"... I already had a surface charger so no big deal for me... I bought it, took it home, slapped Arch Linux on it, And I'm really happy with it. It's a great little road warrior, does conference calls, media, plays Stardew and Minecraft with no issues, and is comfortable on the lap, on a table, or in a backpack...
But yea, I do think this satisfaction is shaped by the discount... OK... I just realized mine is a Surface Laptop go 2... but they seem indistinguishable... regardless, yea, if it had cost me 1000$, I guess I would have stole the charger and sent it back too, but for 300 bucks, I'm quite happy.
You can have a very decent Legion for 999. Do the school/work thing, as well as have some fun with. This is a bust. But I bet it will sell.
Do not buy anything running Windows costing less 1000USD. They gonna slow down in max one year and will need replacement in two years. Get a mid/high level Chromebook it will stay fast until you replace it 5-6 years down the road.
Bullcrap
@@JohnCena-um5uo fast, fully secure, fully integrated with my android phone, bug free with seamless updates without the need to wait for the software to be installed, runs all my business apps without the need to look for/update drivers, and If I need something really specialized with the press of a button I can use Linux. Bullcrap my ass...
@@JohnCena-um5uono bullcrap. Chromebooks are made to last long. I had mine from 2014-2022. That’s when they stopped security updates for it. My Chromebook stayed strong. That’s 8 years of amazing-ness.
Hi Mathew. I just subscribed to your channel. Great review. Can you recommend a 10-12 inch laptop better than surface go? I feel microsoft is targeting people who are specially interested on smaller laptops. Sadly i havent find a decent competitor on this size segment.
I think they price it high so they can put them on sale quite soon after release.
It's really cute for 399 if you don't care about any specs and just want a small laptop to do text editing and video watching.
Why did this YT channel stop getting recommended to me, i literally watch the same type of content
Love my Surface Laptop Go 3 and it’s perfect for playing The Sims 4 on, I could imagine a Go 4 with a entry-level Snapdragon chip, then it wouldn’t be bargain-basement anymore.
Replaced my first-gen Surface Laptop which can’t be upgraded to Win 11.
It's such a shame. Either go all in and make it a 1080p display and a backlit keyboard that lovely chassis and design deserves or make it 600-700 and let people make those compromises to save a few.
I still have my Surface Pro 4 and it's running Windows 11 23H2, no flickering. For now it runs fine cos all I need is the edge browser and internet connection
They hardly improved it since the previous version which was backward too.
I bought one for just under £400. Travel laptop that fits perfectly within the standard 'small' flight bag allowance.
I totally agree with you, it’s good as a sub $500, but at the price it’s in, that’s just sad!!
And they get surprised when their surface line is not doing good!
It’s just sad what they do
I got a base model on Microsoft Boxing week sale for $1248 Australian Dollarydoos, which at the moment is equivalent $775 USD.
Even the surface laptop 4and 5 are better deals at 600-799 range respectively. That’s even from Best Buy and Microsoft directly. You’re better off getting the full laptop or just surface pro line then the go.
My work primarily uses these. Good for enterprise but I wouldn't grab one yourself unless you get one for $600 or less.
Well, with the death of the 11in MBA and the 12in MacBook, as well as the Netbook category in general, this is the smallest laptop you can get these days that runs Microsoft Office (locally). So Microsoft can basically charge as much as they want, because what else are you going to buy at that size?
Please make a video recommending laptops that are not expensive for a student that will start a computer science major
Microsoft shoould have priced the surface go series around 499 for the specs they offer.
the most honest, fair, end-user experience oriented laptop review! This is the bar for laptop reviews and all product reviews.
MacBook air M2 currently on sale for $750
2.5 lbs isn't very light. 360 nits is dim af
What's the best bang/buck dedicated gpu for laptops to look out for ? Around 1200-1500 €
Bad take imo. I agree the price point is too high, fwiw it NEEDS to come down to by a couple hundred, though I disagree with almost everything else. What's important to keep in mind with this laptop is its target audience: students and people who need a light laptop on the go, for acessing the internet and using word processors.
The resolution is *fine*, people are losing their crap over something that really doesn't matter at this screen size. The backlit keyboard is also completely irrelevant imo, unless you're some granny who doesn't touch type, and presses each individual key with their index finger like a fossil.
As for the the specs; they also don't really matter for a laptop like this, it's not designed to be a 15 or 17 inch powerhouse gaming laptop, it's designed to be a lightweight laptop for students and people who just need a laptop for browsing the internet and word processing. It's basically the descendant of the netbook. It doesn't need a ton of storage, what are you storing on it anyway??? A bunch of word documents?
This is a bad review imo, as it completely misses the point of the product and its target audience.
And this is a dumb comment
And that's not to mention that the Surface Go series battery life is TERRIBLE when under even modest load. My SG2 dies after a ballpark 3 hours if I do anything more than web browsing and light office work (not Powerpoint, I can kill the battery in about 2.5 to 2.45 hours if I'm working on a Powerpoint).
I know what the problem is. It is not a mac. I have an MacBook air from 2013. With a poor TN screen an a slow intel processor and a tiny 128gb ssd. People bought massive these machines. I never have seen people complaining. For 75% of the whole world. One of these things are capable enough. Microsoft makes 3 times the same thing and you call this garbage. Go back to your silicon or 4k gaming beast laptop. This thing is a beauty on its own. There are people enough that doesn't play games. Compile code or render videos. You don't understand nothing if you make a video like this. I have a 400$ Asus vivobook with a poor celeron processor and a 17 inch TN screen. Does everything for me. And I am happy with it. Specs and raw power isn't anything. You have to learn this. That are enough people in the word that aren't have a need to spend 2000+ on a stupid computer. What you can trow into the bin after a few years because it is apple or an expansive gaming PC. Really guys. Stop this nonsense.
This is really unfortunate but this has been the case with some laptops for some time.
I had looked for an ultrabook for uni, something light that I could use instead of my phone for looking at docs and ended up with a gaming laptop that I never used for gaming.
The internals were just so much better (although more costly, I think worth it).
I now have a convertible chromebook for flights and general travel and its not even that much lighter but the smaller form factor is great.
You LENOVO Yoga Slim link is incorrect
A 15" laptop isn't an equivalent it's a chungus that's a pain to carry around.
The surface go laptop is TINY and ultraportable
I feel like the value proposition for a Surface Pro 9 isnt that much better either. Am I wrong?
Surface laptops have always been 1 generation behind the competition, and quite expensive for what they offered. I don't understand what Microsoft is doing.
Hi there, I want to know if the Asus 15" OLED Laptop, Asus Zenbook 14X, and the Lenovo Yoga Slim 7 Pro you showcase have at least backlight keyboards or not.
Surface needs to step up their game. They have the best designs, build quality and OS with zero bloatware. But I hope they provide better hardware specifications at more affordable pricing. At a $1000 other OEMs have a lot more to offer
if its $700 it is ok. i got my laptop go 2 almost a year ago, I hate its hot, the screen is reflective, it doesnt have backlit, it cant connect to multiple external display (it actually can but 2nd monitor runs in 30HZ), its noisy where the fan always kicks in.
BUT the form factor is good, i like the touch screen, its 3:2, it has all the ports i need without need of dongle, it looks nice like a macbook.
I have a serious love and hate relationship with this product.
If you want a Surface laptop for less than $1k, better to get an older version of the Surface Laptop without the "Go," like the Surface Laptop 4. But really you are better off with that Zenbook 14X if you can get it for $699.
Please keep up the honesty--what was Microsoft thinking???
Wow the alternatives are crazy in comparison
Im actually very happy with it tbh. Bought it for my client together with a HP Elitebook 640 G11. Yes, the HP is the better option but I'm keeping the Surface for myself. I personally like the smaller form factor a lot more and it has touchscreen which the HP does not. Do have to note client is/was using crappy Terra/Wortmann laptops so everything will be an upgrade😅
Great point! So only the "cute" size left as a con...
Can you find an alternative of the same size or 13 inch at the same price of this or lower ? 😅
Great review. Loved the style of narration.
Glad you liked it!
I have the original laptop go and absolutely love the size. It's a pretty reliable laptop with great build quality. However, the laptop is definitely slow and the battery is awful (I'm lucky to get like two hours of usage). Any recommendations on other laptops that are similar size?
What about second hand for £350 with a 5 year warranty?
i dont mind no backlight. coz im typingworking on light
Samsung Book3 360 Laptop, 13.3 Inch, 16GB RAM, 512GB Storage, Intel Core I7, ASUS Vivobook S15 OLED M5506UA 15.6" 3K 120Hz OLED Laptop (AMD Ryzen 9-8945H, 16GB RAM, 1TB PCIe SSD, UK Layout RGB Backlit Keyboard, Windows 11 Home). or Macbook M3. Hi I just threw this laptop from microsoft out of the amzon basket, and my question is for you which of these by me would you recommend. ?
Why not get a surface laptop 5 13' ?
this thing should cost $649... but because its a "Surface" device... microsoft probably gonna put $699 for this laptop.... but no, they charge you $999 for this bulsh!t...
No junk software compared to the Asus but it's a small win. The screen is terrible. Not even 1080p
I got a question: Where is the charging port? Can you even charge this laptop?
usb c
Hi!!! 💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕
I was tempted to get a Microsoft too, but a friend recommended HP. And I bought from Amazon an HP250 G10, 15.6 inches, with 64 GB RAM and 4000 GB SSD, windows 11, Office 2021 PRO, for only 900 euros. It doesn't have a backlit keyboard, but I don't mind. I really like that it has an anti-glare system, so it can also be used in sunlight. And I really like that it's ultra-fast, the display doesn't shine, that is, you don't have the image reflected in a mirror, as I've seen on other laptops. I am very happy with this HP modell.
I think Microsoft is Ill informed about their pricing throughout their entire catalogue
might as well get a Mac M2 with backlit keys and more power with better battery optimisation
this product has great price ,but it's problem is resolution and screen ppi too low
I would save money and buy the surface laptop go 5 or just go full out with a studio 2.
I don’t even want this laptop and yet this is the best review I’ve watched (granted it’s the only review I’ve watched because, like I said, I don’t want this laptop), but it made me laugh while being informative! Love your channel, love the knowledge and humour, just subbed ✌️
Thank you!