Microsoft Surface Gochat_bubble_outlineFrom real comments

Multiple users are frustrated that Microsoft doesn't bundle the Type Cover keyboard, calling it misleading when reviewers test units with keyboards that add significant extra cost.

@BooksandArmchair

The Go would be so good if Microsoft gave it the Surface Pro 8 treatment. I bet you they’ll do a complete redesign for the Go 4. I hope we see two USB C Thunderbolt 4 ports and an upgradable M.2 SSD 2230 on the back. We’ll probably get a new Keyboard with Pen 2 slot but they need to bundle it in with the device. I would like to see better performance maybe with a quad core i3 or dual core i5 with some sort of XE support.launch

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October 23, 2021

@nic_ccc3366

Fair review - if Microsoft included the type cover then it would be worth it, it's a shame they never will. I love my Go 2 and run my small business on it. Performance is fine for my use - email, Office, web browsing, notes, reading, virtual meetings and signing documents. Hooking it up to my 2k monitor is also fine with minimal choppiness. Only significant downside for me is the battery life and I've thought about moving to an ipad because of this, but Windows is better for my use.launch

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October 22, 2021

@___David__

Well...here's the thing: the Surface Go is aimed at schools. It's for kids and teenagers to have a light machine to access word, watch YouTube videos and do a bit of browsing. It's not meant to replace a laptop from someone who relies heavily on one. Hence why your experience would never be good.\nThe Surface Pro is obviously a better deal.\nAnd the price on the Surface Go is too high considering it doesn't bring the keyboard. If it did for just 50€ more, it'd be an awesome deal.\n\nJust a clarification: the Surface Go ships with Windows 10 Home.\nHowever, it comes in \"S mode\", which means there's a switch turned on that blocks third party content. When you \"unlock\" the device, it simply removes that switch and unlocks everything in Windows 10 Home.\n\nIf you want to only use store apps later, you can't return to \"S mode\" but you can turn on the option to only allow installation of store apps in Settings -> Apps & features -> Allow apps from the Store only.launch

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August 17, 2018

@SNRejected

I hate that microsoft doesn’t package the keyboard with this device. All the reviewers calling it a 400 dollar device, and reviewing it with the keyboard.launch

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August 5, 2018

While some owners report solid all-day battery life, others describe notably short runtimes and disappointing drain, with battery cited as a weak point overall.

@Yahula1edits

After about 6month of usage, this is what i can say about the Go 3.\nPros:\n-it is very mobile\n-handy for students thanks to microsoft edge pdf writing ability (you can write on pdf scripts instead of using paper)\n-it is technically a fullfledged laptop so you can install actual programs like visual studio etc. \n-Battery life about 6h so you can use it without needing charging throughout the day \n-Inbuild camera is quite usefull\n\nCons:\n-Pen support of various Microsoft software like word etc. is very bad compared to an actual ipad from apple, so if you dont need an actual heavy weigth program like coding software etc. you cant get through apps, its better to use a tablet\n-Its hard to near impossible to draw straight lines unless you insert an actual line, so drawing a triangle or in general using this for math related stuff is rather bad, on that note writing is also quite janky\n-not sure if its the edge browser or the go 3, however opening a pdf and zooming way in to have more precise control of what you are writing or drawing causes consistent crashes over time, of the browser, but also the cpu cant handle it sometimes\n-it does a very bad job saving pdfs you drew or wrote in using the pen, again this is edges problem, i noticed often how my pdfs when loading them the next day after saving and closing them, lost some of the stuff i drew or wrote in them, which was a very rude awakening especially if you wrote down a formula and then a variable is missing in it and u dont see it right away, this btw happened in word aswell, but much more rarely\n-microsoft does not want you to actually use it as a laptop that can download programs from the internet, so you can initially only download apps fromt the store, which are mostly not free and they are really bad, if you dont deactivate the windows11s mode forfeiting rights, you are better off just buying either a laptop or a tablet\n-its obviously not the fastest in processing \n-the pen and keyboard are extras you have to buy for nearly another 200$ on top of the surface go 3 which is ridiculous\n-you cant properly use it as a tablet to write on, if you rest your arm on it while writing like on a piece of paper, it really does not like that, which makes it rather hard to write on in, imagine you try to write with your pen on your monitor and see if that would work out for youlaunch

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May 6, 2022

@franksilval

I just bought one yesterday and this is my verdict. 1- After awhile gets really hot. f you are holding it on your hand , better dont. The fun gets really noisy to the point you assume it is going to blow up. 2- The screen resolution is just bad. If you are used to to a crispy screen, this little laptop brings disappointment. 3- I live in New Zealand. I did change many times the keyboard configuration because for some reason it remains changing the keys order. A real nightmare to the point to think that might be better to download the keyboard configuration again. Cant trust to put robust software . You feel this laptop more as toy for kids only for watching videos. The button of fingerprint identification gets really hot....too hot. The battery life is pretty disappointing. The computer gets too hot to the point you assume the battery will get flat too quick. Not good at all for the money.launch

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February 28, 2022

@nic_ccc3366

Fair review - if Microsoft included the type cover then it would be worth it, it's a shame they never will. I love my Go 2 and run my small business on it. Performance is fine for my use - email, Office, web browsing, notes, reading, virtual meetings and signing documents. Hooking it up to my 2k monitor is also fine with minimal choppiness. Only significant downside for me is the battery life and I've thought about moving to an ipad because of this, but Windows is better for my use.launch

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October 22, 2021

@manishbhatia1312

I tried to really like it but the Surface Go is a NO-GO based on many basic reasons. \nFirst, it is being marked as a productivity device based on having Windows. Sure, if you like typing like a Trex and are only using very basic things which is basically...viola!... a TABLET in essence. \nBut without the luxury of a snappy mobile OS, slow starts/ updates from Windows, non Touch friendly interface.\nAnd the biggest KICK in the NUTZ? The battery SUCKS compared to the “almost 9 hours” advertised. \nThat is the biggest problem. It is too small and slow for regular computing and it does not really qualify as a tablet. \nI had to grudgingly go back to getting an iPAD 2018 / 2018 GB AND LTE for $550 with support for the pencils and TONS of keyboard case options. \nThings are snappy, I access full Windows work computing in the cloud through VMARE, I log in to my home IMAC via Chrome Remote Desktop without a hitch. Display is gorgeous, slim form factor, things work right away for YouTube and streaming, TONS more apps and on and on.\n\nBottomline - This Surface GO is really for basic high school level kids of rich parents who can’t research better small laptops out there with proper keyboards and more power (eg the Yoga line) \nIt is TOO EXPENSIVE for what it offers even as a secondary laptop when you add the keyboard and pen. \nThe larger PRO are the ones you want for portability (if they could only get on board the USB C changing train)\n\nThe iPad works great as a secondary laptop also because it keeps things separate from a “proper computer “ so you don’t have to worry about overlapping files on multiple machines etc. Simply use the cloud for cross pollinating files as needed (BOX etc)\n\nBiggest thing going for Surface is the 3:2 screen factor for people needing productivity over media watching.\nBiggest negative of ALL iPads - no Mouse support to complete the Trifecta of proper Screen/Keyboard/Mouse for true computing.launch

smart_display

August 19, 2018

Several users reported the device getting very hot, sometimes with loud fan noise or even a detaching top panel, and one unit needed replacement due to overheating.

@franksilval

I just bought one yesterday and this is my verdict. 1- After awhile gets really hot. f you are holding it on your hand , better dont. The fun gets really noisy to the point you assume it is going to blow up. 2- The screen resolution is just bad. If you are used to to a crispy screen, this little laptop brings disappointment. 3- I live in New Zealand. I did change many times the keyboard configuration because for some reason it remains changing the keys order. A real nightmare to the point to think that might be better to download the keyboard configuration again. Cant trust to put robust software . You feel this laptop more as toy for kids only for watching videos. The button of fingerprint identification gets really hot....too hot. The battery life is pretty disappointing. The computer gets too hot to the point you assume the battery will get flat too quick. Not good at all for the money.launch

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February 28, 2022

@Baresi-Unico-Capitano

*UPDATE - I returned the faulty laptop and got a replacement. The replacement hasn't had any issues, and has worked perfectly for the past two years. Very good laptop.*\nAfter reading all of these positive reviews, I was super excited to order one for my mum. The laptop got delivered a couple of hours ago...that's as far as the positives go..! I turned on the laptop to start the installation process. Almost as soon as I entered the internet password and LinkedIn my mum's email address, the fan came on. It literally sounded like an aeroplane taking off....it did this for a good 45 minutes before my ears went numb and called Customer support to have it returned. Not only did the fan seem very very faulty, but for some reason, the power button was also extremely hot!!! I've just had to turn it off, repackage it and have it ready to be returned. First time in my entire life that I've received what is clearly a very faulty laptop 😑launch

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September 22, 2021

@JifferRiffic

I just bought this thing and it sucks!!!!! Also to even get 8GB RAM (Which you need) the bigger storage(which you need) because this is Windows...... It comes with candy crush installed and other bloat wear, along with a billion hours of updates and windows S-mode or windows home if you opt out of S, and a keyboard...... its just around 760.00 USD. \n\nI have problems loading basic webpages, Youtube is impossible to load, and its just slow and mine crazy hot. Now I knows its Fan less, but i've ran this thing all day long and the top dark gray portion of the surface is actually detaching by the camera because its so hot. \n\nI was not having a good time with this device. I also installed windows 10 Pro on it now, so i could get into CMD and actually run a Bash command. (cause gosh for bid you can't do that in windows -S mode) Now the real sense or camera unlock no longer works. I've also had this thing on a full charge many times, and i only get about 2 hours of battery life. Now I'm not sure how windows does there battery test, but im just typing and trying to browse the web and its just dying. Now for that 760 USD price range for a entry lvl PC/tablet.... Just go buy last years gaming PC and use that. You may lose some slim factor, but trust me don't buy this thing. I will be posting a video this weekend on my channel if anyone wants to see this.launch

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August 3, 2018

The entry-level 64GB model uses much slower eMMC storage compared to the NVMe SSD in higher models, a distinction several commenters felt was under-reported by reviewers.

@dpodjasek

Really liked the production quality of this video, and the personality. Couple of corrections... (1) the 60% faster claim from MS is in regards to the Pentium Gold versions. So you can buy the lower-end models this time and have a better experience than with the Go 2, and the i3 version isn't as drastically faster than the m3 Go 2. Also means recommending the Go 2 on discount may make sense if you're buying the highest model, but could be a big mistake if you're buying one of the two lower-end models. (2) The middle model with Pentium Gold DOES has SSD (as well as double the memory and storage of the low end model). Only the lowest Gold model has EMC.launch

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October 24, 2021

@Youllise

....What's not mentioned is that the 64GB model is running a eMMC storage which is significantly slower (reads at about 200 MB/s) and fragile than the 128GB model's NVMe storage (reads at about 1200 MB/s). You're welcome Linus.launch

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August 3, 2018

Some users found the Windows Store app selection thin, lacking apps like WSJ or NYT, and S mode restricts installing outside programs unless switched off.

@manishbhatia1312

I tried to really like it but the Surface Go is a NO-GO based on many basic reasons. \nFirst, it is being marked as a productivity device based on having Windows. Sure, if you like typing like a Trex and are only using very basic things which is basically...viola!... a TABLET in essence. \nBut without the luxury of a snappy mobile OS, slow starts/ updates from Windows, non Touch friendly interface.\nAnd the biggest KICK in the NUTZ? The battery SUCKS compared to the “almost 9 hours” advertised. \nThat is the biggest problem. It is too small and slow for regular computing and it does not really qualify as a tablet. \nI had to grudgingly go back to getting an iPAD 2018 / 2018 GB AND LTE for $550 with support for the pencils and TONS of keyboard case options. \nThings are snappy, I access full Windows work computing in the cloud through VMARE, I log in to my home IMAC via Chrome Remote Desktop without a hitch. Display is gorgeous, slim form factor, things work right away for YouTube and streaming, TONS more apps and on and on.\n\nBottomline - This Surface GO is really for basic high school level kids of rich parents who can’t research better small laptops out there with proper keyboards and more power (eg the Yoga line) \nIt is TOO EXPENSIVE for what it offers even as a secondary laptop when you add the keyboard and pen. \nThe larger PRO are the ones you want for portability (if they could only get on board the USB C changing train)\n\nThe iPad works great as a secondary laptop also because it keeps things separate from a “proper computer “ so you don’t have to worry about overlapping files on multiple machines etc. Simply use the cloud for cross pollinating files as needed (BOX etc)\n\nBiggest thing going for Surface is the 3:2 screen factor for people needing productivity over media watching.\nBiggest negative of ALL iPads - no Mouse support to complete the Trifecta of proper Screen/Keyboard/Mouse for true computing.launch

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August 19, 2018

@TheArtificiallyIntelligent

Just got one tonight and overall I like it. I have two iPads, an iPhone, and two macs (desktop and laptop). The Go is mainly for my wife, but what we wanted was something smaller like an iPad, but that didn't have such limited functionality. The Go brings that. Better keyboard, you can use a mouse, built-in stand, full desktop operating system. The only downside so far is that, when treating this like a tablet, it has very limited apps. For instance, there is no Wall Street Journal or NY Times app. When I jump on a plane, I like to load up the last several days of papers from WSJ and read them on the plane. Can't do that here, which is the one downside so far.launch

smart_display

August 8, 2018

Pen support in Microsoft apps like Word was described as buggy, with crashes, lost saved annotations, and difficulty drawing straight lines compared to dedicated tablets.

@Yahula1edits

After about 6month of usage, this is what i can say about the Go 3.\nPros:\n-it is very mobile\n-handy for students thanks to microsoft edge pdf writing ability (you can write on pdf scripts instead of using paper)\n-it is technically a fullfledged laptop so you can install actual programs like visual studio etc. \n-Battery life about 6h so you can use it without needing charging throughout the day \n-Inbuild camera is quite usefull\n\nCons:\n-Pen support of various Microsoft software like word etc. is very bad compared to an actual ipad from apple, so if you dont need an actual heavy weigth program like coding software etc. you cant get through apps, its better to use a tablet\n-Its hard to near impossible to draw straight lines unless you insert an actual line, so drawing a triangle or in general using this for math related stuff is rather bad, on that note writing is also quite janky\n-not sure if its the edge browser or the go 3, however opening a pdf and zooming way in to have more precise control of what you are writing or drawing causes consistent crashes over time, of the browser, but also the cpu cant handle it sometimes\n-it does a very bad job saving pdfs you drew or wrote in using the pen, again this is edges problem, i noticed often how my pdfs when loading them the next day after saving and closing them, lost some of the stuff i drew or wrote in them, which was a very rude awakening especially if you wrote down a formula and then a variable is missing in it and u dont see it right away, this btw happened in word aswell, but much more rarely\n-microsoft does not want you to actually use it as a laptop that can download programs from the internet, so you can initially only download apps fromt the store, which are mostly not free and they are really bad, if you dont deactivate the windows11s mode forfeiting rights, you are better off just buying either a laptop or a tablet\n-its obviously not the fastest in processing \n-the pen and keyboard are extras you have to buy for nearly another 200$ on top of the surface go 3 which is ridiculous\n-you cant properly use it as a tablet to write on, if you rest your arm on it while writing like on a piece of paper, it really does not like that, which makes it rather hard to write on in, imagine you try to write with your pen on your monitor and see if that would work out for youlaunch

smart_display

May 6, 2022

One user identified a design flaw where resting wrists on the base while typing accidentally clicks the trackpad, confirmed as a broader issue after checking another unit in-store.

@kaelyn360

Okay guys, I am here to let you all know, there is a major design flaw. I just bought the laptop on Dec 31st, received it Jan 4th, and it is perfect. In all areas to be exact. There is one thing though, and that is the trackpad literally clicking when your wrists rest on the base of the computer while you type. Your wrist will click the trackpad. This is not a me issue, because I went to Best Buy to get it looked at. The guy went over to the other surface laptop go and clicked on the computer base, it also clicked the trackpad. That will indeed be an enormous issue if you plan on working on documents. I am leaving this here because reviewers not noticing this. Might want to look into another model. All that aside, it is very clean and works lovely. No other issues, but that one issue is a very huge nussiance.launch

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January 9, 2021

Higher-RAM/storage configurations were criticized for costing nearly as much as competing full laptops like the M1 MacBook Air, undermining the budget appeal.

@Tiporae

The product would be good, if they bumped off the bottom eMMC/4GB model and moved the middle and high end SKUs down one notch. The 8GB/256GB model has no business costing nearly the same as the M1 Macbook Air with the same.launch

smart_display

December 15, 2020