Surface Go 2 Honest Review - Why I almost threw it out..

Microsoft's Surface Go 2 is incredible for a few specific tasks, but you NEED to know the whole truth if you're going to buy one..
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Microsoft's Surface Go 2 is a great budget tablet with a few really impressive features and specs for a low price of $400.
However, there are a couple of huge issues that stop us from recommending it to our viewers.. I explain why in this review.
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[@taylor1038]

I'm glad somebody actually tested the base model. I keep seeing clickbait titles of $400 surface when they then test the $550 midranger.

[@size19yeezys56]

Pentium is the cheapest and the slowest get the m3

[@size19yeezys56]

@@msp5138 actually I did but I spoke to a representative and I sent it back and just paid the remaining amount to get the other instead of a full refund

[@saul3965]

@@msp5138 bro, it's the slowest one lmao.

[@jimmyjab190]

@@msp5138 or maybe it only sold out because its the cheap option and therefore more people can afford it...

[@crib8007]

ms p the p is a weaker cpu tho

[@TamFishe]

Let me tell you a thing that is special about this tablet: It's running a desktop OS, unlike an iPad being software limited even with the accessories

[@utubestalker.dotcom]

but if it is slow and fails to use Windows software on the go, it defeats the purpose of productivity. you might as well just buy an Android tablet, which uses similar software albeit not the Windows software consumers wanted to install on the Surface Go 2 though

[@owen4326]

@@utubestalker.dotcom The M3 and i3 8G models are fine for most daily tasks. The new Pentiums aren't bad either, the Pentium options in the Surface Go 1 and 2 were bad but the higher spec models are cheap now used and perform well.

[@TheUrbanRebel]

Pentium + 4GB Ram is a crime against humanity

[@riopato2009]

emmc storage also make it a Surface NO Go 2

[@priyankasingh-rj1wr]

Don’t forget the 64 gigs emmc storage

[@slay3rgamingyt]

I agree

[@andrewwang1561]

@@priyankasingh-rj1wr and windows 10 itself takes 30gigs xD

[@DarkPa1adin]

Intel is a crime against humanity. 14nm for so long.

[@eriknelson5585]

I completely understand. Although I work for Microsoft and got the original go for virtually free even light web browsing is sluggish, it’s hard to recommend to customers when the device is so slow.

[@pilot3103ify]

Erik Nelson MS hardware is a sinking ship you should know this better than anyone

[@NickHunter]

@@pilot3103ify They're hardware quality is outstanding as long as you get decent spec. The $399 edition is for kids, and it's fine for that

[@RaduTek]

Install another browser, for god's sake. With chrome on the first Go, even 4K videos on KZbin take a few seconds to load.

[@HelloThere-lo3qi]

can u made it atleast an intel i3 processor or ryzen 3/5 with 8gbs of ram and use ssd pls lol

[@TheTehkman]

Installed new edge and disable “background apps” in settings works much better ... windows 10 is a spyware tool so it hogs memory

[@SnoopyxX24]

I already have a regular laptop that works for my core needs, but I bought the go2 as a second screen for day trading and minor tasks on the go such as browsing, notes, KZbin etc. works fine just for me and I think it was made for stuff like that. If ur looking to do more demanding things, just get a surface pro or a regular laptop

[@msp5138]

Stop talking logic on an Apple fanbois channel...lol

[@kochlan]

​@@msp5138Well, its pretty expensive for youtube or web broswing. And even for that is pretty slow . There is no logic in it :)

[@hoangd4132]

tried to use the base $399 OG surface go without the keyboard or pen for actual $399 experience but i just can't. the virtual keyboard and touchscreen was just so sluggish, emmc storage was just so slow

[@youryoui524]

on top of the fact that we are in COVID conditions, we’d be killing ourselves hard just to think we can address all the basic tech needs with just a surface go 2.. have to bring up to.

[@MichaelWebber]

The basic consumer iPad is much faster than my first gen Go (the new base model Go processor isn’t significantly faster). However the Go is great for Netflix and other video streaming, plus when I switch to Chrome browser there are NO webpage display glitches, compared to my iPad which is much faster (even in Chrome browser) but can’t properly display all elements of the page. Sometimes I can’t even scroll through items in drop down menus on the iPad (the drop down menu closes when I lift my finger to scroll the menu items).

[@martintince]

@@MichaelWebber That is chrome problem not ipads, switch browser to safari. Last year apple released desktop class browsing on ipad ios 13.

[@arrowlogproductions2509]

Michael Webber Switch to Safari, those are just Chrome problems

[@MichaelWebber]

@@martintince Ok let me try. But since Apple requires use of its rendering system on iPad I assumed the guts of Edge, Chrome, Firefox - at least on iPad - are the same as Safari.

[@benjaminli3808]

Idk what people are expecting out of the tablet lol. The way I see it, the surface go is a great tablet for media consumption, writing/taking notes, and conferencing with its great webcam. People are expecting too much out of it. Idk what you all plan on doing on this surface go. But for me, I've used a laptop with an older atom processor, 4 gb of ram, and 128 gb ssd, and managed to do plenty of multitasking without an issue. I obviously saw its limits when I began trying anything heavier. But I dare say, for any productivity work, the surface go has enough power.

[@rimadharne4940]

I swear!! There are reviews everywhere about how surface go 2 can't compete with laptops!! Of course, it can't! It's not built for that! How about telling us that you can run a full MS office on it and it's a great secondary device?? That's what it is built as!!

[@obidean3964]

It's because the damn eMMC storage. At least the SSD version is better, anyone who know PC spec should know that the base is the one to avoid but I get the point of this video tho ...

[@anthonycbrown1952]

These sort of reviews are aggravating as these YT 'creatives' toss tasks against a device it was not scoped to do. This is a media consumption device with a full Windows operating system. When traveling for several days my carryon luggage stores the Surface Go and my IPad Mini 5 LTE. Together, they are the perfect combo of inexpensive portable devices when the full size versions of a laptop and tablet are too large and heavy. Norwegian Airlines - Carry-On and Hand Baggage. Norwegian Air allows you to bring one carry-on bag and 1 personal item into the cabin free of charge. the COMBINED WEIGHT LIMIT is 10 kilograms or about 22 pounds. These devices work well for airline travel.

[@lbgstzockt8493]

Are you telling me I cant do photo editing on a $400 tablet designed to be a secondary machine? Impossible

[@elypeachy3296]

@@rimadharne4940 Better off buying used Surface Pro 4 at that price.

[@03chrisv]

The base model is strictly for web use, video conferencing, writing and reading documents, and drawing/note taking. The upgraded model with a core m3 is a real computer that is much more capable. It legitimately feels and acts like a tiny Surface Pro 7 in terms of speed and responsiveness in most programs outside of 4k video editing or gaming.

[@03chrisv]

@@andyH_England No, I don't agree at all. The Core m3 cpu in the Surface Go 2 is actually closer to a year and a half old, not over 2 and it is actually pretty decent. It out performs a Core i7 5500u and has a small TDP of 5 watts. A WOA chip would be a mixed bag at best, in fact the Surface Go 2 with Core m3 outperforms the Surface X's SQ1 ARM chip in single core performance in benchmarks and since it doesnt have to emulate x86 programs like the Surface Pro X it actually runs everything better. Try running photoshop on the Surface Pro X and then run it on the Surface Go 2 with a Core m3, it's a night and day difference with the Surface Go 2 running it very smoothly whereas on Surface Pro X it's choppy.

[@03chrisv]

@@andyH_England Yeah a lot of people write off the Core m3 as if it is some super slow Intel Atom processor, but it's quite the little performer and packs a serious punch considering its TDP is just 5 watts. Of course it's not a powerhouse either but given the purpose of the Surface Go 2 and the type of programs people would typically run on it I find that it should be adequate and feel responsive for most people. For the price it's definitely on the higher end of what I would pay but considering the form factor, superb screen, and high build quality of Surface products I'd say it's worth getting if high portability is extremely important to you.

[@03chrisv]

@@goobfilmcast4239 Ok lol

[@Coolmedia234]

The Core m3 model is nice but still too expensive for what it is, once you factor in the type cover cost. Pentiums are much too slow for the price and eMMC and 4GB RAM is a joke.

[@aaronabramson6900]

Lol S20 ultra has 4 times more and it's a phone 😂

[@keijiazum9282]

better to buy a refurbished 12 macbook

[@03chrisv]

Not really, the core m3 version with a type cover is still cheaper than a standalone 11 inch iPad Pro while arguably being more useful since it's fast enough to run Windows 10 and most programs properly. Sure you can buy a cheap plastic laptop with the same specs of the Core m3 Surface Go for half the cost but it also doesn't offer the form factor, build quality, screen, and portability of the Surface Go.

[@Isengardtom]

03chrisv iPad Pro blows this thing away though in terms of almost everything. Screen quality, microphones, app eco system, promotion,... The only thing I see the go is useful for is for MS office use and occasional video calls. Other than these the iPad Pro is just much better

[@nic_ccc3366]

@@IsengardtomThe Go is also better at multitasking, file management, connecting to external drives, other devices & displays. You're also forgetting that some people need/want a full, OPEN desktop OS, not a device that is so locked down. Put it this way - if you're going to pay $1000 (including keyboard) for either the m3 Go or the ipad Pro as your ONLY computer, you'd want to be 100% sure that you can live with a mobile OS stuck in Apple's ecosystem.

[@Ak47ram]

I have the Surface Go 8GB and it looks faster than the 4GB Go2 model you had. KZbin never takes that long to load. It is not fast by any means but livable for a cheap note taking tablet.

[@marynarkw]

for notetaking buy a paper notebook.

[@therealedarby]

I picked up the 8GB version all in with Keyboard and Pen. Works great for daily use. Reading, notes, video conference, music, some web browsing, and video watching. Coming from an iPad you quickly have to adjust to the fact its not a tablet. However, its a solid device for travel, cooking and video as mentioned. Definitely not for power creator user but great option and cheaper/more capable than iPad Pro for Power Office users.

[@cv6442]

I'm considering getting the 8gb myself with the pen, and eventually the keyboard. I'm mostly looking for basic use but need something that is capable of things a "real" computer can do when I need it to (via Windows). How is yours holding up after 2 years?

[@mr.x335h]

​@C V if you got the answer let mea well

[@ipmpumps4242]

The base model is strictly designed as a tool for light web browsing/conferences, Microsoft Office and emails...perfect for parents who like to cap their kids' gaming appetite to a minimal.

[@amarjeetsingh96]

While comparing apple’s cheap products to apple’s expensive products, it feels like you shouldn’t buy Apple’s cheap products but when comparing apple’s cheap products to other companies’ cheap product you realise that in grand scheme of things Apple don’t really skimp on things that really matter whereas every other company tried to provide flashy stuff without getting the basics right.

[@xeonkhj]

Getting tired of all Surface iPad comparisons. Try drug-and-drop or multi-tasking or programing or gaming or Office or coping a sheet and pic. I can even make my Surface Go my only computer. And I use it in the pass 1 and half years as a CS student. iPad is fantastic but still is the bigger phone without phoning support.

[@sharondslater2774]

Gave away my iPad Pro 2 days after Surface Go arrived. Since I am home bound due to Covid-19 I"ll await vaccine then buy Surface Go 2. My Surface Go is my media player for bathroom and kitchen right now and I still use MS Cloud of active Word and Excel docs. It works as companion to my Razer 15 inch.

[@skyediann3399]

I don't care how good they've gotten, charging any more than $250 for a Pentium based machine is an absolute no go.

[@alex_inside]

Celerons and Pentiums where the bane of my existence.

[@AdnanMohammed-lt8qq]

what laptop do you recommend for gaming/school work with my budget being £500

[@AaronTechnic]

@@AdnanMohammed-lt8qq a hp 14s

[@corataylor2205]

@@AdnanMohammed-lt8qq you could get a used ROG with a decent gpu for that price..

[@дмитрогаркавченко-е6т]

I had Pentium on laptop - it was handling fallout 4 on minimal 😅

[@marufbepary100]

The entry-level iPad is almost the perfect laptop replacement for most people. If it only has USB-C to easily plug stuff in. The iPad Pro is too expensive which means that people are going to have higher expectations and requirements.

[@Andy_M.S.c]

Too expensive relative to what?? It has like 80% of the performance (multi) and 110% (single) of the 2019 16inch MacBook Pro 120Hz screen Good speakers Cellular Touchscreen Etc While the MacBooks are so much more expensive and all of that just for x86. The iPad Pro’s are perfectly priced for what you get.

[@nintendork07]

@@Andy_M.S.c if you add the pencil and keyboard, which are pretty necessary for a laptop replacement, it's $400 extra. at that point you'd be better off getting a macbook air

[@RhythmGamer]

not incuding USB-C is why its entry level most people are not connecting things to there iPad, thats why they made the pro but you can get a used or refubushed iPad Pro

[@Borrister]

Andres M. Suarez Lol what can the most expensive model of the iPad Pro do that the $329 iPad can’t?

[@radroroscam3770]

@@Andy_M.S.c can you do intensive 3d work? Can you play games like call of duty, rainbow six siege, and overwatch on it? Can you program on it? Can you install linux on it? I don't think so, Ipads run a mobile OS for kids, and it will never replace a laptop, if you actually want something to replace a laptop then you better off buying a laptop!

[@XJLCA]

Weird, did you count the Apple Pencil and keyboard costs for the iPad? How do they compare? iPad still cheap?

[@XX-qj9sj]

Apple pencil costs the same as surface pen, Keyboards are also the same. Actually the iPad is cheaper lol

[@XJLCA]

@Maanav Khurana Care to list the prices?

[@Isengardtom]

XJLCA $587 That’s 329 USD for the iPad, 99 USD for the pencil and 159 USD for the keyboard

[@nguyenloc98]

I think People buy iPad 7th gen just for entertain, less productivity. People usally buy an 499$ iPad Air 3 64GB WiFi, with that price we have and 529$ 8gb 128GB SSD Pentium Surface Go 2 that much faster, more performance comparte to 4gb model. iPad air 499 + 99 pencil + 159 keyboard Surface go 2 529 + 99 pen + 107 keyboard Now we have an overview, and Surface go 2 8gb version can run many x86_64 Adobe app fine without any issue with more productivity than an iPad Air 3. Yah, we cannot run Adobe Illustrator on an iPad

[@pepehdezhdez2473]

@@nguyenloc98 actually surface go 2 midrange model is 629 no 529

[@slackmo7655]

Not the fastest tablet out there, but do u think leaving it in S mode might have been a better move?

[@VigneshKaushik]

Surface go is for light browsing, emailing, brainstorming, sketching, video calls, personal learning, NetFlix and works with Office 365 suite. It has a huge user base in students, housewives, older people, and for most of us as a portable travel companion. I got one for my 7 yr old son as his Learn-from-home device. He even plays some Asphalt car racing games on it. Definitely worth a buy!!

[@MrAliWest]

Im a french-native speaker, and one thing i REALLY appréciate is that your speaking is soooo good, I CAN really understand what you say, thank you for your amazing and non-biaised reviews. I really appréciate thé fait that you always put yourself in the header of the consumer, you understand that we all have different budgets and always make your best to be partial. Thanks for that, greetings from Morocco 🙏🏿

[@gehtdinichtsan309]

i was really tempted to buy the first go, but i didn't because i believed at that time microsoft would listen to the criticism about their low-end model. sadly they didn't. the go2 - for me - is just a new'ish shell for the same old components. given the performance they should at least sell it in a bundle with the keyboard-cover for the price of the entry go2, making it an ideal entry student-2in1.

[@jackf1684]

This matches up with other reviews I'm seeing. It was either from The Verge or PC Mag but the headline was "The Surface Go 2 is fast and light, only when you pay more."

[@ljacobs357]

I have the original Surface Go 8gb model and it performs fine even with Affinity Photo.

[@reevanamin5865]

Double the ram does make worlds difference in windows.

[@PatchworkRose567]

I’ve been using the first surface go base model for about 2 years now and I was really hoping that the go 2’s base model would be better than the one as I love the portability as well as being a 2 in 1 from Microsoft itself but the lack of memory and performance definitely becomes annoying after 2 years of use, however, it is faster than my previous hand me down family use laptop so I’m used to waiting. I’m hoping to buy the midline model of the 2 since I have all previous accessories like the type cover, mouse, pen, and a USB-A adapter so I will be saving money compared to buying from the ground up.

[@sddrx6000]

Instead of buying the GO 2, one should buy the refurbished surface pro 6 or even 5 with LTE and i5. I still rock one and it runs like butter.

[@LogicalError007]

Surface pro series destroy iPad. But since he's a Apple fan, why would he do that?

[@yaskoda]

@@LogicalError007 nah. iPad and Surface are totally different, and good in their own ways.

[@LogicalError007]

@@yaskoda I know. I wrote that comment for those who desperately try to compare these devices.

[@Ds3DeniS3Ds]

Unfortunatelly, as you said the M3 8Gb Ram 128Gb is the real REASONABLE entry level. But keep in mind that you can't compare 1:1 geekbench scores on ARM and on X86, and that's misleading to people that don't know that. The point of the Surface Go is being able to use x86 programs, if you don't need x86, of course the base iPad will be much better for you.

[@neoasura]

Exactly, this is strictly for people who want to play with x86 apps. There are a lot of better options out there for Android and IOS if you want ARM support.

[@juslikefrusciante]

Microsoft really screwed up a perfect opportunity. They could've easily used AMD Ryzen 3 processors and paired with a 6GB RAM at least for the base model. They also need to throw in the keyboard along with it as Windows is not a primarily touch based OS like iOS and increase the price by 50 bucks! I reckon it would be a super hit if they just did it.

[@dylansmith8856]

AMD doesn’t offer a processor with low enough TDP to put into the device, it’s a shame but they’re stuck with intel

[@juslikefrusciante]

@@dylansmith8856 what about the Athlon A4 / A6 APU ? Aren't those decent enough for basic entry level windows 10S based machines?

[@nou4605]

@@juslikefrusciante I don't think those Athlons are much faster CPU wise(not GPU) than a Pentium. AMD is focusing on releasing an ARM based Ryzen chip though. Maybe their R&D will spillover to x86 or Windows on ARM will improve.

[@khiclark31]

I bought the go 2 and I am curious about taking it out of s mode and being able to use it more like a regular laptop. Is there any modifications I can do to make my Go 2 better?

[@slowvq9371]

If i just want to use it to watch KZbin or stream videos online will it do ok?

[@shax232]

I’m a university student studying a course which involves lots of note taking. Is this tablet good enough for that task?

[@qwertyzxaszc6323]

That’s why I love my ipads. They feel so fast compared to most laptops.And what’s the use of full windows if you can’t even run full basic apps without frustration?

[@abhisheksinha8776]

Exactly

[@kaptnwelpe5322]

Can you run a FULL Microsoft 365 suite on an iPad? You can't even run a full Microsoft OneNote 2016 (which is included in 365 for a good reason) on a Mac - plugins are not supported on MacOS... Office usage etc. is fine - once its loaded. And 20 seconds sounds a lot, but is totally acceptable for most people...

[@yaskoda]

@@kaptnwelpe5322 Well you CAN run Microsoft office smooth on Mac and iPad. I've never heard about these Microsoft apps, and ur getting both Apple and Microsoft

[@qwertyzxaszc6323]

miine YepI have 3600n my ipad

[@Boomer112]

So, uhm... i recently got HBO Max and spontaniously wanted to buy a tablet to watch movies on instead of watching on my PC or phone. Is the Surface Go 2 great for watching movies on? It's on sale for around $290 now during black friday. The sale ends on the 28th november so i kinda wanna know if it's still worth it for movies (mostly) before black friday is over.

[@winjaywin]

Did you try using chrome instead of edge? The new Edge browser is slow compared to the latest chrome after Edge switched to blink engine.

[@raresmacovei8382]

New Edge is slow compared to Chrome? Not at all, lol.

[@winjaywin]

@@raresmacovei8382 I don't know. The old Edge was faster than chrome. But after updating to the new edge, its horribly slow on my lenovo thinkpad with 6th gen i5. Its like it's not using cpu. Maybe it's just for me.

[@isaacrogers4174]

My colors look wrong on mine. I have been trying to fix this forever, how do I fix it?

[@naen3287]

If i were to use this just for college (note taking, watching youtube, writing essays etc.) and switch out of windows s, would it be worth to buy?

[@slashsnake9127]

No

[@msp5138]

@@slashsnake9127 Clearly you have no idea what you are talking about. I the SG2 and use it more than my SP7. It runs MS Office, R-studio statistical software, has a great battery (11-12 hours of KZbin viewing), 1080p webcam, face recongition, touchscreen, pen support, detachable keyboard, and the internet does not lag (maybe .5 seconds slower than my SP7). Also, it is extremely light weight and portable, and I can even download and use throttlestop.

[@Clearbrowser]

What is the best tablet for just watching 4k KZbin videos ? And a few websites once in a while. I mostly use my tablet for KZbin , Netflix, prime video , Hulu ect. Just streaming video

[@rebl7355]

Do you think it's fast enough to watch Netflix and Twitch streams on? That's pretty much everything i will use it for.

[@maxwellvankuiken7827]

"This thing sucks. Click the affiliate link below to buy one today." XD

[@YashThakur-nw4ly]

@Max Tech, hey nice review. But I have read there is heating issue in some versions of SG2 and SG3. Would you pls specify about it? I am planning to buy either SG2 (Refurbished) or SG3 (New) for basic use like word/excel/you tube viewing as a secondary option but don’t want a roaster. Which version should I opt for basic use? 4GB/64 or 8GB/128? M3 or Pentium? Will appreciate your input. Thanks..

[@lazybum131]

Since you pointed out the iPad used an older processer from 2016, it would have been informative to also point out the 4425y and m3-8100y are Amber Lake CPUs based on the architecture released in 2018.

[@darrellhagan6124]

Who the heck cares so long as it works?

[@babyyoda5893]

Is this good for gaming/games

[@benlahero]

I honestly have no clue what you are talking about, I have one and yes, it is not super fast, but I'm having zero problem with it. And by the way, there is a veeery small amount of people that are using video editing software or Photoshop, and those people will surely not buy one of the cheapest product on the market. For everyday small use, work and Netflix or KZbin, the Surface Go 2 is perfect for me anyway.

[@Jayayess1190]

I had the first gen base model for a year before selling it for a Surface Pro 7. I edited 1080P Sony A5100 videos in Magix Movie Studio Platinum and edited photos in Capture One. It was not the fastest thing, but it is not as unusable as you make it out to be. The main limitation was the ram, 4GB was too little.

[@yaskoda]

for something running Windows 10 ye

[@cywestbrook7448]

For web browsing you should have used the new Edge, since it's based on chromium and runs a lot faster on these systems.

[@cool1012]

This reminds me of the base model pixel slate, In terms of its performance

[@Isengardtom]

Maanav Khurana yeah that was one giant lag fest

[@alchemistTi]

The older Surface Pro models can often go for

[@rimadharne4940]

And the less weight

[@nguyenloc98]

People usually buy an 10 inch device for: their child, or their second device (they already have a powerful PC), so I think Surface Go just fine with these purpose, or maybe pay for and 8GB 128 GB SSD pentium model for 529$, they much faster, much performance that can use everyday.

[@Andreyshunt]

I’ve been watching your videos for a couple weeks now pretty awesome got got a question how do you get these products to review do you pay for them they get sent to you you mentioned is it a sponsor deal ??Спасибо

[@sKid-hq8lb]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/kGjGnaaOjppgo6M

[@jessicahyde8461]

He buy and sell it again.

[@dr.stevenpennym.d.3241]

I have the basic model in S mode and it does everything I wanted to do. Including WPS and other work programs. In my humble review, it's not the fastest computer on the block, but it does what it is supposed to do. If you take it out of S mode, that's where things get bottlenecked. I'm just keeping mine in S mode because I can do everything I want. I got the computer the alcantara keyboard and mouse for 500 bucks. Find a better deal than that.

[@Supcuzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz]

agreed

[@vaderboi9054]

Yeah, but shouldn’t you be able to use just the M3 processor with just the WiFi and not WiFi + LTE and get the same results as the recommended one??

[@dachanist]

As a lifelong Windows user with a dual screen Windows 10 Zenbook hooked to my TV as my daily, the best mobile computing solution today is whichever iPad suits your size and budget. iPad Pro is expensive but its worth it. No bs lag, great speakers, amazing screen, all day battery or if you need a little more just get a power pack, lightweight, plays call of duty, hookup a midi keyboard and you have a ton of vst pianos and synths, you can make beats on it and the software is touch optimized and simplified, midi drivers are a lot faster than windows, Digital art is a no brainier on an iPad, iPad can be used as a Cintiq when paired to your desktop as well, if you want a cheaper pencil get a Logitech crayon. You can use the iPad as a second screen (or as a WACOM tablet) for your laptop/desktop/mediapc. Adblock works on Safari. Screen Resolution is better than 1080p so you can read a full webpage all at once unlike on a normal laptop. I use a windows pc, and Android phone and an iPad and would not give up any of them because they each fill a need. On the go, I use the phone and the iPad or if going to work all day in an office - The laptop (plugged in), the iPad as second screen and of course my phone as well. Anyways the last thing to come with me is the laptop. That said, if I had no phone, no tv, no computer and no tablet and only a $500 budget. I'd spend $375 on a Note9 and $75 on a TV, $25 on an hdmi usbC dongle, $25 on a bluetooth keyboard/mouse and use Samsung Dex as my desktop on a Note9. The real answer is cheap windows desktop/laptop minimum 8gb-16gb ram, cheap current android phone and cheap current iPad. Add money to taste. If I had a Surface Go 2 4gb ram + pentium, I'd only use it as a screen and keyboard for Samsung Dex from my Note 9.

[@christophercruz7373]

For this to be fair and not just be an Apple fanboy review, the title should have said “Get the m3 model,of Surface go, don’t bother with the base model”. I have the m3 model and seriously I cannot understand why anyone would buy the base model “on purpose”. Plus, the Surface go like you said would be great for select users (like myself) . I love this model because I am replacing my Surface Pro 4/i5/4GB Ram model and figured this was comparable but with a smaller form factor which suits my needs. If a consumer wants a tablet like an iPad; guess what? They will buy an iPad! You don’t need to do a comparison video because it’s pointless. If a consumer was looking for a Windows machine in a small form and inexpensive, they will buy the Surface Go and presumably buy the type cover if thy feel they really need it. But the Surface Go can use any Bluetooth mouse or keyboard widely available so if that consumer has one then the Surface Go 2 will be their choice. So let’s stop the Surface Go 2 hate and just remember that consumers are always looking for something that will suit that individual. Not every consumer is going to edit on Photoshop or do heavy video editing. That’s not what device is designed for. This is an entry level Surface device that’s affordable for someone looking to buy a Surface.

[@sharondslater2774]

amen

[@kevincui2993]

Should I buy the 8+128GB model with the pentium or buy the core m3 model?

[@wonderwall135]

is there a better performing alternative for similar money?

[@mrplasma7094]

iPad 8th gen, 2020

[@msp5138]

@@mrplasma7094 iPad ain't a computer, it is a big iPhone. Which is why it's market share has dropped from 80% to 33% over the past decade.

[@msp5138]

Get the $539 version on sale. Mine was only $389US on sale and is great. It runs MS Office, R-studio statistical software, has a great battery (11-12 hours of KZbin viewing). The base model is for kids (as shown in the video ads).

[@Trusteft]

Did you try Opera or even Firefox on it? Not that it would fix everything wrong with it, just curious.

[@haxorinator8219]

Just an FYI for new buyers, look at the Surface Pro 2017/ Surface Pro 5 or 4. The i5 7300U 8GB Pro 5 can be found around $500 and is over 4X the performance of the Go in Speedometer. It’s also 2X faster in Single Core and Multicore in Cinebench. Yikes! The i5 6300U 8GB Pro 4 is also significantly faster than the Go (~10% slower than the Pro 5) and can be found around $400.

[@macktevinfraterin9947]

Thanks mate.

[@deviiii_o1792]

Does anyone have an overheating problems Like you just opened it and starts warming up immediately?

[@nguyenloc98]

Actually surface go 2 purpose is for student, or a second device for normal people, that people can bring everywhere to read and annotate PDF, takes note, have a online meeting, make a presentation,... don't use it (the lowest specs) as the only device. And as we know, iPad cannot run Adobe Illustrator CC, Photoshop CC or any x64_86 application, ... so cannot compare. And compare to iPad Air WIFI 64GB for 499$, you can buy the 8gb 128gb Surface Go 2 version for 529$, you will see a much faster device that can run both store app or x86_64 app that work very great.

[@JCTY299]

Finally, a video the shows the true agony of trying to tolerate the $400 base model. It is I believe excruciatingly painful for even the simplest of tasks and appls like web browsing and watching KZbin videos. Simple Powerpoint is also practically unusable on this SKU. I honestly don't know why many reviewers are singing the praises of the Go and Go2.....I honestly doubt that the coreM3 model which costs much more is anymore usable for those tasks as well. For these sorts of performance and price-points, Microsoft should have just thrown in the type cover keyboard and perhaps manufactured a sligtly watered down pen. Then at least for the performance vs price, I would not have anything to complain about....but for $600 all in, its definitely not worth it. Like paying good money to be tortured.

[@bnlhu]

Thank you for your honestly! I was considering buying this model, but so long, I've only found negative reviews for the base model. I've been looking for a cheep tablet that can be used as a desktop, my options so far have been the surface go, the ipad air or the samsung tab s6, what's your opinion? Although I think I should discard the surface as an option

[@jamesw2831]

Comparing a tablet running a mobile OS that has been worked on for a decade to a device that runs actual desktop versions of programs is...a really bad comparison to make and a slick way to highlight your Apple bias. The Go 2 should honestly be compared to the Macbook Air to be fair. Even in that comparison, the Air is better value despite its own weak cooling problems. That being said, the Surface Go isn't a good idea at stock. I used a Surface Go last year for everything. The processor was a real bottleneck, but I adapted. Microsoft should have honestly looked at Dell's Latitude tablet line or the HP Elite series for inspiration because it fit a fan in the chassis, a better heat sink, a quad core processor and was able to be taken apart to be serviced to have the fans cleaned and had better performance over load than the average tablet. If Microsoft did this, it would have cut into Surface Pro sales for sure, but that's the risk you have to take. An 11.6 inch Surface Pro with a fan, large heat sink and an Ice Lake processor at the current price point of the Go, including the keyboard and pen for free would have been more competitive. Would it have been heavier? Yes. Would it have been more usable and put up a fight? Yes. But for it to be effective in any form of editing, it would need a more capable GPU. This is where a Renoir processor would have worked and helped minimize the price.

[@mr.klunee4103]

I mean, you could get a used surface pro 6 for lower price. But a Renoir based surface pro would be awesome

[@raresmacovei8382]

To be fair, everything "touch related" in Windows should've been amazing on touch at this point, given they've been working on making Windows more touch optimized since late 2011 then Windows 8 Developer Previews launched. And yet...Tablet mode got downgraded. Edge got downgraded. Barely any improvements vs W8 from 8 years ago.

[@RedMageGaming]

I have a Surface Go 1 base model. I almost exclusively use it in battery saver mode and it works fine. Mind you I am not using it for photo editing. Pixel Art, note taking, and reading are my biggest uses on it. It's fairly fast even on battery saver, it certainly doesn't scream, but I'm not waiting around for apps to load either. I've said this on a LOT of Surface Go 1 reviews that spend more time complaining about its shortcomings over what it does well at it's price point. I will concede that the iPad is faster than it, absolutely, and the iPad can do most of what the go can do, and do it better in many aspects. However, the Go and Go 2 are Full Windows 10 Machines. So you do have access to quite a lot of things not available on an iPad, or galaxy tab, and as such affords the same usability when it comes to how you interact with files on it. The Go is completely a companion device, It's a great little windows machine if your not looking to do processor heavy tasks or game. Though if your looking at older games it can run some of them really well, the higher end one can even somehow run skyrim lol, but that isn't what it's for. It really is a no BS small form factor tablet for someone who doesn't use apple at all. It makes a great video call machine, it's not the best for drawing, but with one note it makes a great digital notebook. It runs videos really well on KZbin and other streaming services. It fills a niche in the market for people who want some of the comforts the surface tablet line offers without the higher price tag of the surface pro machines. I have the base model, but I would recommend the higher spec model to most people solely on the idea of in most cases you want to over spec for your use case as much as you can reasonably do so when buying a device you plan to use for several years or more. I've been using windows machines for years and I have a certain set of features I wanted for a portable nearly pocketable device, and the Go fit that need at the time. I will likely continue to use it for the next few years as a companion to my desktop. I'm also waiting on the next iPad Mini to release to get and use as a companion to my MBP.

[@did4h2k]

with that music id pick the surface 100 times over the ipad ;)

[@thefancyshot]

Right?! The sound was lower but so much better

[@famishedrj3]

@@thefancyshot I think he made that comment because the music is so garabage he'd rather it be silent than loud lol.

[@mrmaramind]

First 4gb is not enough these days for anything. Also, what web browser were you using. If you went out of S mode I’m guessing Chrome which always runs horribly on PC.

[@f8c3themusic]

I sold my original Surface Go for the 2020 MacBook Air. Nothing bad to say about the Surface. Great device! I just wanted some bigger and always wanted a Mac. If I ever switch back to Windows, I’d get maybe a Surface Pro or Surface Laptop.

[@wilsoncheng2517]

Hey Microsoft.... time to switch to AMD chips... For performance and price

[@MarouaneTF]

They should put at least an athlon 300g its like 50 dollars and it has an integrated gpu that smokes the imtel hd 615

[@mr.klunee4103]

Wrong answer...mobile market very different than desktop cpus, Ice Lake has still proven leader in single core performance and performance per watt (better battery life and less heat output). Unless ryzen 4000 can come through, but I still wouldn't think that would be an ideal choice.

[@Rvndrkk]

@@mr.klunee4103 ryzen 4000 mobile chips are out already in laptops and they are pretty sick.

[@mr.klunee4103]

Ravendark true but I don't think it's a good fit for this device. For those who need the extra horsepower from Ryzen 4000 (or core i5/i7) they should get something else. I'd LOVE to see Ryzen make it into the surface pro/book which was a missed opportunity with the surface book 3 imo, but those who are buying a Surface Go will put battery life before high performance.

[@DingleberryHandpump]

How do you feel about this product if your just using it for excel?

[@mrplasma7094]

still sucks for that

[@msp5138]

@@mrplasma7094 He asked about the SG2, not an iPad...lol

[@msp5138]

The base model is for kids (see MS video ads). Get the $549 model and you will be fine...

[@randomcitizen1257]

how about the maxed out version? how well does that one work? all tech reviewers are concentrating on the base model but Im really interested in the performance of the device can give.

[@yab3146]

Just buy another windows laptop for 509 dollars, those come with a keyboard, 10th Gen intel processors and atleast 8gigs of ram

[@nic_ccc3366]

@@yab3146 You're missing the point of the Surface line. It's for people who want 2-in-1 functionality. If you don't need the pen/tablet, then of course there are better laptops out there for the price.

[@youryoui524]

i woudn’t bother trying... once you hit the maxed out version, you now compare that model to the best fit configuration of the 2019 iPad Air instead. i think you know how much favor still tilts to Apple just with what you get with either iPad Air by itself or full package...

[@yab3146]

@@nic_ccc3366 then get a pro 7,the surface go is irrelevant at 650 dollars when the pro 7 does not cost that much more and is infinitely better

[@nic_ccc3366]

yousef AB I agree the Pro is better value for a bit extra, but the difference is the size - some people want this 10" form factor and are happy to sacrifice some performance for it. I had the Pro 2017 but downsized to the Go last year. I run my small business on it and love it.

[@foxhound6364]

It may be bad for a lot of uses, but if you are looking for something that works as a small laptop/tablet hybrid for use with Shadow PC, this thing is perfect IMO.

[@AnonMom]

Thank you, this is what I was thinking about. I wanted to use it for shadow & oculus quest 2.

[@xDrTomx]

Disabling the S mode makes this review not valid. This mode makes it substantially faster for all things, and if you want to get a laptop for other things, you should say this is not recommended towards anyone that needs the total windows experience. Not once is it mentioned how much faster it is on Windows S mode. This is PERFECT for students who need a limited laptop that can just do work.

[@genx-tv]

The thing is, people buy Windows because they don't want to be limited. At least, that's the premise I'm getting from so many reviews. This Go comes with full Windows, compared to the limited iPadOS, they say. People will not let this tablet stay in S mode, because sooner or later they want to try out apps that are not on the Windows app store -- because why not? If getting out of S mode makes the base model sluggish, then Microsoft shouldn't offer the option to exit S mode, and then people would know what to expect. I get what you are saying, but it makes this product having two faces. You can use full Windows, but really, don't! Have the restraint to never exit S mode! That will be hard marketing. I'm sure lots of people will have great experience using the Go in S mode, but for the people who exit S mode, because they think it will be fine -- and really, why shouldn't it -- then the experience will be like this.

[@xDrTomx]

GenX TV exactly, they don’t. When a person doesn’t want something, this case being limited, you don’t buy it. I have a way less specc’d acer netbook that runs amazingly on Windows S. Again this is not for those people. And you can’t get a Mac this cheap that’s gonna have any warranty. So that’s who this is for. ESPECIALLY if you get the lowest model. I can understand if you bought the highest end they sold and this was still the case. But it’s not. This review is supposed to be for the lowest model, so something you throw to your kid for school or something small that you want for doing writing on the go, email, really casual things. Again, I love my netbook. It has such terrible specs compared to my laptop but the convenience and with windows s, Kissanime and kimcartoon work just fine, cs2 Photoshop works, and I can play a lot of old school emulators through online emulation. It’s comfy.

[@kaptnwelpe5322]

@@genx-tv I would recommend anyone who doesn't know what he does to stay in S Mode - its much more safe too. I bet he got out of S Mode to install the benchmark software which isn't available on the Microsoft Store. But besides that, most people who will buy a Surface Go will be just fine with the Apps offered there. And Microsoft 365 run in S Mode too... As an ex-Apple user I prefer buying, downloading and updating via the Store. But I know that most "real" Windows user see this different...

[@daveN2MXX]

Great review, but the comparison to an apple device is asinine, regardless of the "price point". And you are saying that the "audience" for this device is the same as an iPad??? I would not buy this, but I also wouldn't buy an iPad, either.

[@mrankin2825]

I'm totally fine with the base model or M3. My laptop's great but has a sucky webcam.

[@samueltoniolo6544]

I recently bought one and do you recommend it for school?

[@spazzer013]

Samuel Toniolo I have the Surface Go 2 8gb model and it works great for me. I can do everything I need to do. I also record videos and upload them with Camtasia and it all works well.

[@samueltoniolo6544]

spazzer013 thanks man👍

[@someonewhocares999]

I think you were a bit too dramatic for the video purposes. I have the base model and it's doing just fine. I even have it plugged into an external monitor and I have few Google Chrome tabs open and I can even work on Inkscape at the same time and it runs very smoothly.

[@mafiozii16]

will this be enough though for taking notes for college in onenote?

[@klipk7296]

I like the slim keyboards but there's no way they're actually worth the asking price. Besides, don't they literally crumble to bits if you live in a humid area?

[@fellowcitizen]

Max, what's the best Linux distro to make this work properly, and which will still serve for drawing/writing? thanks :)

[@Smitty-op4ld]

No one online says if this this a mobile device or tablet computer clearly. It sounds like a mobile device that can be set up as a tablet computer, but I have a specific app on Google play that I use on my cell phone that I want to use on a tablet, so a tablet computer running full Desktop apps won't if I can't download apps from the google play store

[@JohnHighman]

I agree with all your comments. The Surface GO3 computer is slow and useless for complex issues and programs. However, it is small and convenient to carry around (that's why I bought it). I found that the only way to solve many of the SLOW problems with GO3 was to reset the computer, not let it sync to BING favourites and history. Then I set up another Microsoft user account using Outlook without any 'bulky' One Drive sync. When you do that, things get a lot better. It becomes a simple and useable computer.

[@austinemerick191]

This validates the argument of "it's a device that is not very good at being a laptop or a tablet". Plus, for what you would mostly be doing on a device like this, the iPad or even a Chromebook would almost certainly be a better performing device for the use case. Plus, if rumors are correct, and the new base iPad that's coming in the fall ships with the A12, this makes the Surface Go 2 an even worse deal.

[@Jenn-W]

So i just bought it, my typecover has a HUGE DELAY when i press the keys, have to hold them around 5 seconds to type a letter. Anyone have any tips? 😭

[@Harthorn]

I'm using the Pentium Gold 8GB Ram with SSD. It's enough to use as onsite construction note, review and meeting pad. Paperwork, check CAD drawings, annotate etc. Cheap enough to not care if it dies or employee breaks it.

[@msp5138]

Stop talking logic on an Apple fanbois channel, you might get banned...lol

[@Unknwn-nk4ef]

The Go 2 speakers aren't that quiet from the video. I think it's still loud enough, even though it is not equal to the iPad. You're just exaggerating.

[@mindright9771]

If you want to get any real work done and you are dependent on Microsoft Windows Apps, get a Surface Pro. I highly recommend getting as much power as you can afford. The Surface Go is not a machine for getting any type of serious work done period. I have both the Surface Pro and an iPad Pro 11 and the iPad Pro still blows the Surface Pro out of the water. The performance of the iPad is way better and the battery life is pretty much double of what the Surface Pro can muster. The Surface Pro also throttles the CPU and the fan is constantly working feverishly to cool the machine down. I only use the Surface Pro when I need to but most of the time I use the iPad Pro 11. It's just way better at everything with practically all day battery life. I get between 8-9 hours with pretty heavy use.

[@aayushdhl22]

I bought a ipad pro 11 tho anyway lov your vids

[@cool1012]

It's a good laptop.

[@marinalisgara]

IPad pro 11?

[@Andy_M.S.c]

Retro YT 11 inch

[@marinalisgara]

@@Andy_M.S.c oh, I thought he mixed the iPad pro and iPhone 11 names. 🤣

[@jorgeml8112]

Cool101 tablets will never be laptops period.

[@HM-gt5pd]

It's so weird though. I have the Surface Go 1 with 128GB SSD and the same processor and mine is perfectly ok. The only time I have an issue is when I leave it in the sun and it heats up. But everything is smooth, even running an external screen at 1080p. I think the eMMC storage is the problem here and not the processor. But, in saying that, I got my one for £ 399 with the keyboard + pen. So I guess the new pricing is very very weird

[@grumpyoldwizard]

One place this pad kicks the iPad 2020 Pro is ... it has a headphone jack! I hate not having a headphone jack.

[@ih212]

I recently bought a second hand Surface Go 2, with 4425Y and 8GB RAM. I installed ChromeOS Flex and run the speedometer and it gave me 25.9

[@TheDarkblaze69]

Is it works good with coding in NetBeans?

[@pellegew]

Using a Gen1 Go, and can't understand how a single page loading stops the computer. All I can imagine is the "background" task was a major is update or the first file indexing

[@larionlozovoy9603]

Wow, is this even normal? Not doubting Max’s experience but could it be some software issue ?

[@kaptnwelpe5322]

There was a "background" task he couldn't control. Also not using the Chromium base Edge beta - sounds like a software issue, But the Edge thing will be "fixed" for him with the next feature update of Windows 10 which should arrive this month...

[@curtisquick1582]

The Go 2 was designed to run in S mode. When you switch out of it, it runs slower. I keep mine in S mode and I do not see delays.

[@Reaper33333]

I have the go 2 m3 model. Its not terrible. It works ok for most tasks I do while out from the house. It does have expandable storage which helps. I think some more ram would help though. I would not recommend it to anyone who wanted to do extensive tasks on the daily though.

[@HiFiInsider]

Bluetooth Audio is very bad on Surface too. My Surface Laptop 3 is really bad. WiFi drops all the time too. It's very bad coming from a MacBook.

[@JJSalomoun]

Great review. Thanx for it. I would appreciate comparing side by side performance between this model, iPad and model with I3 processor and 8Gb RAM.

[@bubsmums6518]

There is NO comparison between Surface & iPad at all. In a broad way= iPad is a tablet, while Surface is a Computer. How about your compare - Surface Go 2 LTE Vs Samsung Books S LTE. Lets see what you have to say.

[@dustinmeier9753]

I picked one up to use as a portable monitor for my Dell XPS 13.3" 2-in-1. With the addition of using it as a notebook for school (OneNote), and for lighter duty tasks. I'm planning to keep it in S-Mode as long as VitalSource Bookshelf and OneNote will run on it, and assuming the screen projection functions in S-Mode... Otherwise, I'll look to max out Virtual RAM and see what happens. If it's too show, Microsoft will get it back and I'll grab the larger Surface Pro, but that is actually larger than I want for my portable option.

[@cohibaav8or]

I know we're talking used vs new but in that price range I think you couldn't go wrong with a Surface pro 3 or 4. Great value for money with the i5 or i7 and very I've with the pen for aert and graphics apps

[@simply_simping705]

The most reason I bought this laptop was because I wanted one and mine is really good but the downloading is pretty slow but it’s still pretty good

[@Mason_Malakai_Leroux]

Do you know if you can get Steam on your tablet?

[@shrirajmukherjee]

Hey the base iPad starts at 32gb storage so factor in the cost of upgrading to a usable 128gb storage. That's just a strange comparison. 32gb is shit by today's standards and is just as unusable as a go 2 with the slow processor and ram/storage.

[@nic_ccc3366]

Good point. The Go also has an SD card slot while you can't expand the ipad's storage.

[@alphazar]

IPad 32GB goes for $280 on Amazon and you can buy the 128GB version for $329. Still cheaper than base SG2 🤣

[@shrirajmukherjee]

@@alphazar you'll find discounts on the Go 2 as well as the pro 7, varying the price constantly. A comparison of the MRP makes more sense obviously. Also, the base iPad hasn't been refreshed in a while so it's not rocket science why it's discounted.

[@DailyMemes71]

Don’t get this, it f**king sucks, either get a laptop or an iPad. It’s slow dies in under 2 hours of use

[@ieatcrayons3322]

Darn

[@yahya_lee]

They just have to change the internal and everything will be alright ..in my opinion Maybe ARM OR a Ryzen processor will do the magic just right..

[@TheFPSPower]

Unfortunately AMD does not have processors made for passive cooling yet. Hopefully next year though.

[@slay3rgamingyt]

ARM on windows is just straight up bullshit

[@slay3rgamingyt]

AMD processors have higher TDP and require good thermal in a laptop which is impossible on chasse like this. My only concern with surface go 1 is integrated graphics and no turbo boost. The 7th gen HD 615 is sooo slow. Literally even Minecraft and CS:GO are barely playable in 1080p low settings.

[@msp5138]

For the record: Geekbench 5 SG2 m3 chip = 873 2020 base model MBA i3 = 983 Cinebench R20 SG2 m3 chip = 460 2020 bsse model MBA i3 =620 Cost SG2 m3 chip = $629US ($40-$50 keyboard / $40-$50 pen at Amazon) 2020 base model MBA i3 = $949US (no pen, touch screen, microSD)