Introduction

The Surface Go is the most recent addition to Microsoft’s ever growing hardware line, and it slots in right at the bottom, as a cheaper alternative to the Surface Pro.

It seems to be aiming at the iPad Pro market, marketing itself at someone that just wants one device to take care of all of their computing needs; from watching cat gifs on reddit, to making some household budget spreadsheets in excel.

So is this Microsoft’s answer to “the future of computing”? Let’s find out.

INSIDE HARDWARE

The Surface Go comes in two hardware configurations. The $399 option comes with an Intel Pentium Gold processor, 4GB of RAM, and 64GB of eMCC storage.

The other option is $549; it comes with the same processor, but has 8GB of RAM, and 128GB of SSD storage.

I think if you can stretch your budget I’d recommend the $549 option due to overall being a faster device and for the sake of longevity.

OUTSIDE HARDWARE

The device itself is on par with all other Surface laptops, which is great. It looks and feels like a Surface Pro that was taken to a photocopier and shrunken by 25%. The Surface Go has the same excellent magnesium construction as its larger sibling, including the rear hinge that is both sturdy and smooth.

It weighs 522g (1.15lb), which is just a little bit heavier than the iPad (469g/ 1.03lbs), but is still easy to hold with one hand, and won’t be particularly noticeable in your bag.

The Surface Go has a standard assortment of ports and buttons; a power button and volume rocker; a Surface Connect port, USB-C port, MicroSD slot, and a Surface Type Cover port.

I’m very glad that they embraced the future and put a USB-C port on here. One of my main complaints from that Surface Laptop was that it didn’t’ have a USB-C port.

I can understand that for some people that will be an annoyance, but it’ll be good in the future.

I do kind of wish that they would switch the Surface Connect port to a USB-C port as well, since either port can be used for charging but that’s just me being nitpicky.

There are two cameras, front and back. The front utilizes the “Hello” login feature, that I gladly welcome. As someone that uses an iPhone X, I love that I can also just unlock the Surface with my face.

It’s also a pretty damn good webcam. If you tend to make Skype calls or video conference often, you’ll be pleased to know that your face will be crystal clear to the other side.

The back camera is basically there to be there; it’ll suffice for quick shots, but your photos won’t make it to National Geographic.

The speakers are exactly as good as you imagine they are. Perhaps even a bit better; they’re perfectly acceptable for watching movies and listening to music, but it won’t be the center of your house party.

DISPLAY

Finally, we’re at the display, but before we jump into the details of the display, we should acknowledge the bezels that surround it.

They’re thick. Acceptable, but still thick. I imagine this is to keep costs down, and honestly, I’m ok with it. As much as thin bezels give us that futuristic screen-only look à la Westworld, you’ll get used to the screen and its bezels and go about your day.

The display itself is 10” with a 3:2 aspect ratio, and a resolution of 1800 x 1200 which gives it a 217ppi density.

I think the display is great. It’s not quite on par with the iPad Pro’s screen but it doesn’t need to be either. You’ll have no issue using this display.

Colors are nice and bright, contrast is good, and viewing angles are vast, so regardless of where you adjust the rear stand, you’ll be able to use the Surface Go happily. Additionally, the screen is bright enough to be used outside, if that’s your thing.

SOFTWARE

From the inception of the Surface lineup, Microsoft took a different route than apple. Instead of developing an all new ecosystem (aka iOS), they decided that they could just make Windows more touch friendly, and have no need for developing a whole new ecosystem.

The Surface Go runs Windows 10S, just like the Surface Laptop I reviewed last year. This is kind of Microsoft’s attempt at making an iOS-esque ecosystem, but without splitting everything apart. (That already failed once with Windows RT).

Basically Windows 10S limits the user to only using Edge as the web browser, and you can only install apps from the Windows store.

For a very basic user this won’t cause any issues, however if you really want to use the Surface Go all time, it could be a hindrance.

Luckily Microsoft makes it incredibly easy to upgrade to the full Windows 10. Just a few mere clicks (not even a restart), and you’re free of Microsoft’s shackles.

PERFORMANCE

Now that you can run whatever software you want, I imagine you are still most likely going to be run the basics like the Office suite and web browsing. You can run the occasional edit in photoshop or lightroom, but any heavier edits are going to slow the machine down.

Using the Surface Go as a laptop is actually quite a joy, it’s quick and responsive; the Surface Cover is a great keyboard; perhaps a little tight, but having written this whole review on it, I had no issues with cramping and could touch type comfortably.

The trackpad is also responsive and handles multi-finger inputs like scrolling and zooming just like you would expect it to. The trackpad is a bit on the smaller side, especially if you’ve used some of the behemoth MacBook trackpads, but considering the size of the type cover, it’s perfectly sized without getting in your palms way.

Using the Surface Go as a tablet on the other hand, was less impressive. You can really tell that touch input is a secondary priority for Windows 10. I found it interesting that scrolling was perfectly smooth in Edge, but in Chrome it lacked the inertial scrolling and was quite choppy.

Often times the link or button you’re trying to press with your finger is just a little too small, and you end up poking at it three times before finally getting it. Windows offers no help in making the input boxes larger or more lenient towards fingers, it truly considers your finger the same as a mouse.

There are also not that many great apps on the Microsoft Store, so don’t expect this to be the same as an iPad where there’s an app for everything you can imagine.

SMART HOME APPS

Surprisingly, what there is an app for, is Smart Home control. Under the Cortana settings in Windows 10, you can natively connect several smart home devices such as Hue Lights, Nest products, Ecobee, and even Smart Things and Wink Hubs.

There are also several Home control apps in the Windows Store, but quite as many that can be found in iOS or Android app stores.

Nevertheless, Cortana was quickly able to sync with my devices, and I was able to control them with no issues.

Cortana easily understood anything I said and answered promptly regarding the smart home controls, which pleasantly surprised me.

I wasn’t able to properly explore the potential for creating automations however; so perhaps for more advanced smart homes, you will still need to consult the app on your phone.

Although it might not seem like a first choice device to control your smart home with, considering everything is marketed towards phones first and foremost; it is good to know that Windows users can take advantage of this growing market right from their computers.

CONCLUSION

This brings us to the Golden Question.

Should you buy this?

The Surface Go has a lot going for it. It’s a GOOD inexpensive Windows machine. The only compromises are in the performance department, but for the vast majority of people, this is perfectly acceptable.

As mentioned earlier, if you can stretch your budget, I’d highly recommend going for the $549 option. The Surface Type Cover is another $99 you’ll have to spend, since it is essential for this device. This does add up, but there’s no other device in this price range that will be comparable in terms of quality.

If you’re looking to buy a tablet as a leisurely second device, this isn’t it. Go buy an iPad.

However if you’re the kind of person that looks to an iPad as your only device, this can easily be that device, without the limitations that an iPad comes with.

You have a full file browser, and the full workings of Windows. It has expandable storage, a mouse input, and a USB-C port to connect to external storage and peripherals.

I would even recommend this as a secondary device if you’re in a Windows based environment, with a desktop at home/office, and a cheap Surface for the Go. (see what I did there).

Order the Microsoft Surface Go HERE for the lowest price available:

Surface Go 128GB (Amazon) – https://amzn.to/2MyYvco