Surface Go 2 review: don't push it

[@TheVerge]

Can you use the Surface Go 2?

[@subhasish-m]

From your review, it seems that I'd rather go for a Chromebook...

[@santarpanroy570]

Yes

[@catlover9998]

Yes. I plan on getting it and bringing it with me to lectures at University.

[@aditjindal]

Nope

[@Jose-ph9xm]

For the most part yes but I would go for an iPad Air

[@JamesRoyceDawson]

The fact that they haven't used "The Go-to computer" as part of the marketing is criminal

[@bobyford8051]

whats a computer?

[@rohanwadhwa9027]

@@bobyford8051 ipad

[@stacia6678]

Rohan Wadhwa HAHAAHAHAHAA. hahaahhahahaahah. HAHAH. ipad? lol. computer? nope. hahah

[@RealCobby]

@@stacia6678 By definition it is

[@stacia6678]

@@RealCobby By definition your AirPods are a computer. Can you use it daily for school work?

[@ashish9urun9]

We need this so that price of the older devices will go down.

[@manaspradhan8041]

Considering the old one is basically the same but with a smaller screen, I doubt it's going to go down in price much.

[@sainikghosh805]

They will just discontinue the older device 🤷🏻‍♂️

[@Mark-xw5yt]

Manas Pradhan resell value will probably go down alot though

[@Marouu1]

@@manaspradhan8041 it actually did most of the time I find the 4gb surface go +keyboard for about 200 dollars which is an amazing deal

[@EspHack]

lol, this "new" model costs the same and brings nothing new other than half an inch more screen to make it last even less on battery, the only improvement is a higher end version that was never available on the old model anyway

[@amjadsalem8414]

It really should start with the m3 and every surface go should include a keyboard.

[@slantia5]

Every Surface should include a keyboard.

[@goff256]

The M3 is too expensive to be in a 400$ computer, let alone if you want to add in the free keyboard.

[@slantia5]

@@goff256 I guess that's the whole issue - for me, the USP of a device like this is the fact that it runs Windows. But if you don't give it enough power to tap into the advantages Windows brings, why bother buying it in the first place, when an iPad or any other number of devices would suit better for a similar price.

[@goff256]

Scott Smith I bought a Surface Go 1 and I like it as a media player. The screen and the speakers are pretty good.

[@shanez1215]

@@goff256 It really just needs Ryzen. Intel's been bringing 14nm to show and tell for 5 years now. Performance, power consumption, and battery life are pretty stagnated

[@samratspeaks]

I don't think photoshop is the app anyone would be using in this thing. More like office 365 stuffs.

[@SahilKumar-jw3uu]

@@wankyukim4825 absolutely

[@Pasicho]

@@wankyukim4825 What makes it limited? I'd expect all you need in MS Office is the ability to create and edit files.

[@yokowasis]

@@Pasicho Well, if you just need a simple create and edit files, Office mobile doing just fine. But it's nowhere near the full capability of Real Microsoft Office. Even the web version has more features than the mobile apps. There are a lot of better mobile office apps than Microsoft Office.

[@MarlonDeLaTorreyoutube1]

Pasicho the office apps on the iPad doesn’t have the same features you have on a computer. I hope they add the real MS office soon

[@samratspeaks]

To clarify, I own dell xps 13. I have never in my life once used photoshop. I am 26 year old college student.

[@nic_ccc3366]

I have the 1st gen and run my small business with it. Signing documents, taking notes, email, Office & web browsing all work well and I often have several apps open at once. I think this is for users who need a productivity device, not for creative types. I was hoping the battery life would be better on this new model but it seems it’s only slightly improved. Not sure the upgrade would be worth it.

[@dominozonda]

If they included an ARM processor all of these problems would be sorted out It'll be great for 80% of people as most people only use office, surf the net and maybe watch videos on the go The battery life would also double if not more

[@nic_ccc3366]

ronda zonda I agree, I’m not sure why they didn’t do that here as an ARM chip would make so much sense for this form factor. I’m hoping they do it for the next one, I might upgrade then.

[@yokowasis]

ARM would make it worse. Even native x86/64 apps performance is terrible. Imagine if this running windows 10S, it will need emulator to run native Windows apps. Imagine the performance hit. Also, you can't really win in arms race agains't apple. I think the worst offender is the storage speed. Windows REALLY HATE IT when you're not using SSD.

[@luc7976]

According to WindowsCentral they measured the PCMark battery life for m3: 7:32 versus 6:20 hours (with 20% left). But the base model is probably similar and also in terms of power.

[@goff256]

Wasis Haryo Sasoko On Windows 10S, isn’t the performance hit pretty much gone? I mean, on S you can’t install apps from outside of the store.

[@tomwallach]

I think I have the perfect usecase for this thing: I want a Tablet with a pen an keyboard, wich runs Windows

[@alus992]

Exactly.There is no need for mental gymnastics that some Windows fans are trying to do to justify this device. With it's specs its pretty much a regular tablet but it runs windows. You can do the same things on Android and iPadOS device: MS Office (but its limited with its features because Microsoft devs has no incentive to make it 1:1), browsing web, Netflix, KZbin, mail, social apps etc. Yes you can run everything that is Windows compatible but it's super limited by it's components in pretty much every category. Im glad that this device exist because its good entry level device for young people whoo needs a device for super lightweight work and entertainment but has/wants to use Windows.

[@tomwallach]

@@alus992 but I need a tablet that Rus Microsoft visual studio to code in c#. I know there are Lenovo convertibles that also have a pen, but I prefer a smaller Wich has a detachable keyboard.

[@bigbadcalamity721]

Ok good luck with a very slow outdated processor device

[@djlim460]

that's exactly what Dieter said tho.....

[@XJLCA]

@@bigbadcalamity721 Define "very slow". Many reviewers have said it is surprisingly snappy for what they use it for. This processor is not outdated, the one on the entry level MarBook Pro 2020 is.

[@DomsDesigns1]

I fall into the small slither of the Venn diagram. I have had the original Surface Go since November 2018 and it has been a great addition. I'm an engineering university student and I need windows (running MATLAB, Visual Studio, even Quartus Prime). My original laptop was far too bulky for my daily commute. I now have all of my work in OneNote, make notes during lectures using the pen, and I find that the battery life is adequate when getting through 4 hours of lectures and some lab work. There is a growing number of people on my course that use one.

[@mountainslopes]

I haven't used my keyboard in months. I just use my Surface for taking notes with the pen. I think there are more uses for this than just a computer. People make the same mistake with the iPad, treating it like a computer replacement.

[@bigbadcalamity721]

You can buy a real notebook and a real pen at less than 10 bucks. Why waste 40-50x of that money just for writing notes. Lmao.

[@LonecloneProductions]

I think the point about the iPad is just a reality that tech reviewers are unintentionally pushing. For the vast majority of people the vast majority of the time, an iPad has always uniquely been a tablet used by swiping and maybe with the Apple Pencil. It’s not really until the Pro came out 2 years ago that this narrative of “can it replace a laptop?” started cropping up from Apple and the reviewers just keep harping on it with every iteration, probably because it is so frustratingly close. In reality, I think most people still use an iPad for tablet use cases.

[@glowanastole]

Loneclone I use an iPad mini (2019) for basically everything I’d use a similarly priced laptop for, plus handwritten notes and reading, all that in a fast device with great battery life and sharp screen. Also, I can comfortably hold it in one hand. It really depends on your use case, the question is more “do I need a laptop” rather than “can it replace a laptop”

[@mountainslopes]

@@bigbadcalamity721 I bought a 5 year old Surface Pro 3 at a discount and use it every day for school. It allows me to organize my notes and keep everything searchable. But I guess none of that is even your business, is it?

[@samuellee4160]

@@bigbadcalamity721 Fair enough. For students (me included), being able to annotate/draw on slides is a really good option. Also, you're able to include all the notes in one app (using oneNote as an example), making them easily accessible across all devices. It may not be justifiable to you, but who the heck really cares tho? I'm loving it.

[@iagolucas3484]

honestly the way you hid the cat with the review title at 1:17 was just rude 😔

[@liquidmojo]

Gadget head here with the previous Surface GO model. It’s great for an every day carry, that doesn’t weigh down my bag in the field, USB C can plug into a guest HUB if I need a bigger screen, I can fire up word, excel, teams, etc with little compromise. But if I need to do anything more than that, it starts falling short. I also love the new updates on the GO 2, the shrunk bezels, the core m3, etc. But if I really need a spec bump, I’ll probably skip up to a mid spec surface pro 7 or if I really want to live life on the edge, I’d go with the Surface Pro X.

[@Jeevanmn]

Pro X actually has very bad battery life

[@aaronstone6183]

Tbh, it's better to buy a slim 13 inch laptop than a tablet, try lenovo lineup. Ipad and Microsoft tablets are not useful for most of the people. I mean not everyone is a graphic designer or fashion designer in here! Normal tasks include coding, playing games, running CAD or other heavy engineering softwares, listening music, watching movies, surfing the web etc. And a normal 15 inch laptop is much better than any TABLET. Just buy a year old model 15 inch lappy. Laptops are quite portable, and I'd always trade portability for functionality.

[@liquidmojo]

Jvn im here Yeah I saw some of the testing being done on it. It’s definitely not ideal, given that ARM devices are supposed to work better with mobile devices like tablets. The battery life especially takes a hit if emulated win 32 applications are primarily being run. I imagine it would benchmark and battery test better if ARM optimized software were used exclusively.

[@WycliffStudios]

I also had a Surface Go. Got through most of medschool with it. SOld it off before they released a Surface Go 2 and bought a Surface Pro 5

[@NL0Gwenster]

Bought the Go 1 8/128/LTE version with keyboard (alcantara) + pen in mint condition from a friend 4 months ago for a cheap price (350$, still got warranty on it) As Liquidmojo says; this thing is an amazing daily carry to do everyday tasks. My daily carry bag is a 5L peak design (the V1) which fits the Go, my Fuji X100V camera, a water bottle, powerbank, wireless headphone case and a few more other misc. items. Sure, most other devices around the same price tag in traditional laptop form-factor perform better if ultimate portability is NOT your main metric like it is mine.

[@sracer]

I appreciate your perspective on this. One benefit of the Go 2 over the iPads is that the front facing camera is situated for landscape mode... the iPad line is configured for portrait. That makes a difference when video conferencing.

[@yagyeshtripathi1213]

He did close the door this time!

[@gadget00]

Yagyesh Tripathi I checked on that as well LOL

[@BagusUtomo]

the first thing I checked

[@NomadicMike]

LOL!

[@FLUFFYCAT_PNW]

Really stellar review. Rarely do you ever see someone who really tells you if you'll get great use out of a device, rather than just breaking down and comparing its specs. You helped me a lot on this one. Thank you.

[@ThomasTheSingleton]

I think you're missing out on just much people value the surface design aesthetic. I know a lot of college students who love this thing for coffee shop work because it's gorgeous. Nothing else in this price range looks this good while running windows.

[@jsvideos27]

I preordered one and I completely agree with this review. I work as an IT technician and I’m always going places to for my job (fortunately not during quarantine). I needed a portable device that I could quickly look things up, check email, work with files, troubleshoot with, and take notes with. Could an iPad have worked sure but having windows is nice because most of our users are on windows. My point is like he said it’s a niche device that if you have valid reasons for wanting it, it’ll get the job done.

[@ShreyanGoswami]

I really like your reviews. I work as a software developer and nowadays I have learnt to ask the same question that you ask every time, "Who are we making this software for?" Asking this question really puts into perspective what you want to achieve and for whom. Sometimes people get bogged down with specs and features but at the end I think the thing we should really be bogged down is for whom we are doing this

[@musikele]

It's a really honest review. I have a surface go 1. I am also in the center of that diagram: I already own a much more powerful machine for work, I need a laptop like computer to use randomly at home when I need to do things that don't fit on mobile, and I want it with windows because i am a developer and occasionally I want to do fun programming with Visual Studio Code, and the Windows Subsystem for Linux. Ipads or Chromebooks do not handle that.

[@jaredharmer7047]

I like my surface go for college. It’s easy to carry around and I can write essays on the train, and I like being able to use it for Netflix, and I can use class specific programs (like software for Anatomy/physiology), which I couldn’t on a chrome book or iPad. Also it’s easier to use OneDrive and Office apps (I hate office apps on iPad or even macOS)

[@LordHaragnok]

I'm thinking about getting a tablet for my college work too over the cheap chromebook I originally had just so I can use it for notes too. Is it a good choice for that, or does the lower battery life and performance get in the way?

[@charlotteanncooke6834]

It's also really good for uni students traveling to and from uni with, carrying to and from classes with. Its also small enough that it fits on the small lecture theater tables. I used to carry a laptop round and it was 1) to heavy 2) too big and 3) wasn't ideal in classes. Best purchase I ever made for uni x

[@norman-f-rockwell]

is this the main laptop you used for uni to type up assignments or did you have a second laptop too? xx

[@charlotteanncooke6834]

@@norman-f-rockwell I had two but tbh this is more than ideal to have alone I just preferred a bigger screen when doing it at home but it is great! X

[@tvthecat]

The Verge: Don't push it. My cat: Well, yes, but actually I already did it.

[@tvthecat]

@Manok Well, it survived...

[@testingsomething5280]

Yikes...

[@tvthecat]

@@testingsomething5280 Yikes! indeed...

[@Quixsilver2003]

This review is frustrating to watch. 1) They won't, and will never, include the keyboard by default. It's because all Surface accessories are backwards and forwards compatible, so you can sweat your accessories if you'd like (your Pro 3 keyboard that came out in 2014 is still fully compatible on your Pro 7. Your Go 1 keyboard is fully compatible with Go 2. Dock, charger, pen - all cross compatible across the family and generations - both forward and backward. If you'd like it bundled - the only real reason you're asking that is so you get it cheaper together. MS does this with promos, which happen at the usual seasonal events (black friday, back to school, end of year holidays, etc). 2) This is the only modern Windows 10 tablet (at that size) in market today - full stop. If you'd like a small screen Windows 10 device, that runs a modern CPU, this is your only choice. All other Windows devices at this screen size run 6 year old Atom processors (discontinued), or a custom generic CPU not from Intel. 3) Stop installing Photoshop on devices to prove a point. Which artists looks at this device and thinks "Yeah! Powerhouse!". This isn't and was never designed for that. It's literally marketed as an "everyday device for everyday use", on it's Ad launch video and on the MS Store website. This means web browsing, Office, Netflix, Spotify, Whatsapp, and other casual apps - again, delivered in the only small Windows 10 tablet in market today. In addition, don't show full Photoshop to prove your point, and then compare to Chrome OS, but don't actually show how full Photoshop doesn't even run on Chrome OS - or compare it to the iPad Air, but don't actually show/mention how iPad OS doesn't run full photoshop. And why is that? Because none of those 3 OS categories, at their base device set, are meant for photoshop. Set a standard, or don't.

[@NonnakornMangklasiri]

Your comment should be on the top.

[@DenizBender]

Thank you bro! I got the same mind.

[@skifree0]

@@DenizBender I don't really understand why the third point really is all that important? The point is really closer to "It has the advantage of being able to install Photoshop, but can't actually run it properly unlike other devices that run windows". or in your own words " Set a standard, or don't", Well the standard for anything running full windows is that it is not limited in software...But yet the go is in other ways (performance). For the general use-cases you defined, iPadOS and ChromeOS are equally competent. The only major one I can identify, is if you intend to run full office AND need full windows AND not push it too hard AND need something smaller than a surface pro....again back to Venn diagrams.

[@alphazar]

Because Windows fans be like "but it can run full Photoshop hurr durr"

[@papaburger]

For most students , this is good for doing homework ( less gaming ) or even doing in-class works. As a parent I don't want my kid to play games all day long on a computer.

[@owen5640]

This is actually perfect for me. I do a lot of woodworking at home, I like to use design programs to get my ideas on "paper" and always end up taking my laptop around the shop with me. I like how this has a stylus and a detachable keyboard. The only other thing I use my laptop for is browsing anyway, not running any demanding programs. Definitely going to keep my eye out for a sale

[@jacobknight9824]

My friend has a surface go that she uses for college and she loves it. Takes (took) notes in class, watches Netflix, browse the web, and can even download some audio apps for her now online jazz band class. She has had no complaints

[@SeandeDios]

I used my Go exclusively when I went through my MBA and it was able to handle everything I needed it to. Tableau visualizations, python programming, Photoshop, light video editing, and typing my thesis. Best of all it weighs next to nothing and I still bring it everywhere with me. Although I might just be used to slow computers since I was used to a 2012 iMac.

[@Authan65]

Sean de Dios you must be a patient editor

[@SeandeDios]

Authan65 You play KZbin on your phone on the side and time passes

[@judekudera1141]

For me, the Surface Go is the perfect travel computer. It is perfect for productivity in terms of Office 365, taking notes, and is the ideal size for tray tables on airplanes, and limited room on some tables in coffee shops. I did opt for the 8GB version - 4GB became too sluggish. My machine can handle virtually all my PowerPoint presentations and when needed, I can also hook it up to a variety of projectors and screens (especially when paired with my Microsoft display adapter). As stated in the review, do not push this machine to run complex software. Having said that, in a pinch, I was able to use it to do basic post processing using LIghtroom. I have also been able to create sample videos for clients. Having a USB-C port is a huge bonus for charging; I was able to use my portable battery bank to charge the machine when needed. This is an excellent second computer. When I get to the office or home office, my work flow easily continues on my main desktop. Thanks for the review!

[@ravenPSL]

Can I just say I love Dieter's review SO MUCH. He can literally review ANYTHING in the world and I will totally buy it.

[@RK-um9tu]

Too bad Dieter doesn't know what he was talking about. Carefully read the comment section it that fact becomes painfully obvious...lol

[@gabetaylo]

"We're gonna make T-shirts and stuff!" I love Dieter.

[@snowymuffin]

I laughed so hard when he said that hhahaha

[@bonzai0331]

Watching this video on my Surface Go 1. I have mine for almost 2 years and it's great for productivity. Alcatara keyboard and mouse - beautiful work combo. Work uses all Microsoft so I'm aligned. I learned a couple lines of Python using the Go too.

[@freddypereira5573]

Me too! I love the first gen and have used it for college and love it ever since my razer blade failed me and I haven't looked back on it . I even gamed on it a bit and get like 6 hours of battery life.

[@mariabataanon8721]

How long is the battery life now?

[@bonzai0331]

@@mariabataanon8721 haven’t been using it much as the screen is very small. Changed to all Apple now

[@alanakasem1723]

i looked at the price of the alcantara cover/keyboard...oh my t costs about $250 to $350!! Worth it?

[@bonzai0331]

@@alanakasem1723 It's easy set to match the surface go so I think it's worth it.

[@MicCheckMemoirs]

They need to work with AMD to get something cheaper and better battery life. Everything about it is great besides the specs and battery life.

[@chasenthehype]

Totally agree. I mean, they're already refusing to use Thunderbolt 3 for security reasons (which is an Intel-only input)...so they (Microsoft) really have no excuses to continue going Intel at all

[@skycubix8943]

Well AMD currently has no 5W Y-series mobile processors, so I guess the only choice right now is Intel.. If only they made an Athlon mobile to compete with Pentium.

[@mr.klunee4103]

However there are currently no Zen based equivalents of the low power core M. It would be cool to see a Ryzen based Surface Pro though.

[@MicCheckMemoirs]

Mr. Klunee the R1000 is. It’s embedded though

[@Adam-uo9gm]

They have used AMD chips in newer surface devices however they had worse battery life and specs so might have to wait

[@aryannarula2728]

1:56 for a second I thought you really had the phone in the hand in front of the screen

[@luke.warm.freelance]

This is my favorite device. I can stream KZbin videos on 4K for 3-4 hours and end up with battery life in between 51-55. It’s great to draw. I ya great for office. It’s amazing to take bots with, especially if you use one note. It’s very easy to grab and go and for the most part it’s pretty fast. When I am watching my 4K KZbin I don’t experience any interruptions with buffering. I can even do maybe a small game on it. Speakers, mics, and camera are super great. The kickstand as always is a huge pro. Windows hello face works great on it as well. I have the base model ($399.00 USD) with the black microfiber type cover and black Surface pen. I have no complaints about my device.

[@nipaussiemetzspence6255]

Does the Microsoft office apps like word and PowerPoint and xcel work good on it?

[@leitobrown3871]

@@nipaussiemetzspence6255 definitely that seems to be what it was designed for

[@SaceedAbul]

Dieter and the editor carries this whole KZbin page

[@sisir360]

Idk man, I love the idea of having a nice, small tablet running full Windows 10, but I just couldn't live with the compromises. That's why I ended up getting a boring, traditional but spec-loaded Dell last November- and that still ran me only $550. Microsoft needs to find a way to get better processors in their Surface devices. Better battery life too!

[@lukecwolf]

Fire the editor who had cover that beautiful cats face at 1:15 with the caption. We deserved to see more of that cat 🐈

[@namitjoshi1978]

Need more cat

[@TeacherPauloPontes]

I'm an English teacher who's been working from home lately, but goes to students to teach private classes. I also go to University, so I need to watch lessons, while taking notes. I have tried tablets and IMO they fail miserably at multitasking, they're just portable. I definitely want a GO2 because I need to run at least two windows at parallel to each other, during my classes or university, watch youtube, and do some seldom picture or video editing. There's also the occasional office suit use, as well as skype, zoom and other tools, which I believe this version of Surface can easily handle.

[@ALionlikeMane]

I came in here ready to roast this review for being the standard “Verge” style of invalidating the desktop experience to ride Apple’s jock... realistically though, it just reinforced how my life with the Surface Go went. I bought a Surface Go, pitched in that extra for the better processor... and it did everything I needed perfectly! Loved the size, it was really comfortable to use, and I actually found it decently competent for a select range of games...but I just couldn’t get over the fact that I spent over $800 to get a decent processor with keyboard and stylus... took it all back, and got a core i5 Surface Pro 4 off FB marketplace for $350... that came with stylus/keyboard. I really, really liked the size of that Surface Go... once that price goes way, way down I could see myself getting Surface Go 2.

[@javierinDeutschland4155]

I have the first Go (8gb model) for a few years now and its a very handy second device, especially for travel or vacation, you can play a lot of steam indie titles, use light photoshop, illustrator, and many other things. also is pretty convenient to charge with a powerbank via usb C, i prefer windows over any apple product . This second generation doesnt look like a must have upgrade though

[@franzposch6809]

hi javier , can you please tell me .. can you use your surface pro with photoshop to stich panoramas made of up to 4 single expossures ? is that possible with a resonable speed ? hope for your answer . franz

[@javierinDeutschland4155]

@@franzposch6809 I just checked a bit, on my GO (first gen, 8gb model) latest Photoshop takes around 45 secs to open, then i open 4 or 5 3000px images and moved layers around and is totally smooth It really will depend on the size of the images, or if they are RAW files,. If this is the primary use you intend i would try to get one from someone and try it yourself.

[@heisenbaj]

The Surface Pro got really good at 3. Hopefully they'll be able to do the same with the Go.

[@heisenbaj]

@@thor.mukbang I got some of those issues a few years down the line. The noise I fixed by just disabling fans and passive cooling. Battery held up but it would turn on so easily in my bag it would take out a massive chunk before I got to where I was going. Still the best Windows experience I've ever had though.

[@quielo]

I have an original Surface 3 I use for traveling. It's fits on the tray tables in coach or those tiny little tables in coffee shops in many countries. The battery life is not great but it charges from a USB battery so that has not been a problem and really having an external battery allows me to charge both the tablet and my phone. This is just a nicer version of that.

[@LeBeautiful]

Surface 3 was the best surface ever MADE

[@byronj4753]

Love that you're not biased. Ads doesn't show the downsides.

[@Icedoesnotburn]

I guess this would work perfectly on a laboratory. Keeping notes, maintaining spreadsheets, using an electronic labjournal. Why would you run Ps or Illustrator on this?

[@Nishith8]

You should do that on an iPad

[@XJLCA]

@@Nishith8 Except iPad can't run the programs he needed and iPad doesn't have a real file system, nor a USB port! (1000 dollar plus iPad pro excluded)

[@KhanPiesseONE]

@@XJLCA I would agree with you because I hate IOS with every fibre of my being but Apple has added a real file manager and it does pretty much everything that you'd need it to do asides pop up windows that you can drag around.

[@earthzero7]

​@@KhanPiesseONE iPad OS is still, ironically, a poor man's desktop/laptop operating system. It is still fairly unintuitve and lacking in many features.

[@Nishith8]

@@XJLCA ok then, it's Chromebook it is

[@gauravprakash]

Everytime I see a video from Verge, I secretly hope it's by Dieter.

[@MQMirza95]

If it’s not dieter or niley I close the video

[@o0oSolidSnakeo0o]

He really could just start his own KZbin channel and make way more money

[@ShlokeSarkar]

I wait for dieter and becca

[@Channe1F2k]

As a facilities manager, you won't believe how much I appreciate this device. I have the 1st gen 8GB/128 model, and the very size of it while running full Windows has allowed me to work with ease almost everywhere on site. I generally use Office at work (with a few Chrome tabs) and the Pentium processor was surprisingly capable, so it's probably a great solution for those in a similar industry. But I do agree with one thing, the battery life could be better though.

[@samerbk9912]

Can its processor be upgraded or changed? I had mine since 1 year and its slower and slower with time.

[@karla8142]

How long does the battery last on yours?

[@stevenmurphy8726]

If you are looking to buy this take a look at the Lenovo duet. It's $249 at Best buy.

[@septimiusseverus165]

I still use my Surface 3 to travel. I'm sure the Surface Go is a pretty dope travel companion.

[@xiaomingchen4964]

I am watching this video with my surface go1 When i bought this thing in the first week~i was so dispointed by its performance and battery life~~and after a year with this tiny computer ~I totally in love with this little thing~ I enjoy using it so much~

[@yusuf.siregar]

Finally, now I can afford the first Surface Go.

[@harrytsang1501]

Do yourself a favor and get a refurbished Surface pro, an iPad or a even Chromebook. That's all this video is saying. I am telling you, Windows on small tablets are not a good user experience and the apps are not as touch optimized as iPadOS or even Chrome OS

[@hoangd4132]

trust me, it's terribly slow if you pick the emmc storage

[@freddypereira5573]

@@hoangd4132 I have the first gen 8gb ram model and it helped out so much because my razor blade failed on me and Ive been using it for two years now and I love it

[@alexg2903]

@@freddypereira5573 I still use it as well

[@EannaWithAFada]

I got a surface go last christmas and having it for online school is a blessing

[@StefanoZannoni]

Oh come on Dieter: just buy a used Xeon server, upgrade ssd and ram, put fedora server on it, setup vnc, setup firewall ports, install windows 7 in a vm, setup RDP, install office and every shait you need; then buy a raspberry, an argonone case, a huge battery, a portable monitor, usb wireless mouse and keyboard, usb hub, glue everything togheter and cable manage properly, buy a fast microsd card, flash manjaro arm64 on it, setup remmina to connect RDP to win7 VM on server. Move the damn thing wherever you need then call Paul and shout your love for linux. Ciao. :)

[@KhanPiesseONE]

Every person who suggests Linux be like

[@tomswan3401]

Or buy a used thinkpad, upgrade ssd and ram. Install linux as host. Then wine with ms office. 2-3 batteries and one can work at home and also outside. Maybe also windows inside 1-2 virtual machine guests.

[@WACC_Warlord]

I think your reviews are way underrated. I find you do the best reviews out of everyone.

[@pixelised]

What are you taking about? 🤨 Everyone loves Dieter and his reviews! If anything, most people say he's the only reason to watch The Verge videos… Great username, by the way! 😉

[@AtharvaVaidya]

How long until ultra books switch to AMD?

[@FelixMbus]

Atharva Vaidya give it one or two years.

[@AtharvaVaidya]

@@thor.mukbang not the new ones.

[@burningscarlet]

@@thor.mukbang You're talking 7nm sizes with reported battery life on new 4000 models that blow intel out of the water. Intel can't keep up at the 14nm+++++++++ package - newer stuff is overheating and drawing 2-3x the advertised base TDP to get to the same/slightly inferior level.

[@davidneale530]

I sold my Go 1 to one of the company sales guys. He travels a lot and wanted the smallest lightest but still usable thing that would run full desktop Outlook & the rest of Office. I keep asking him and he continues to be delighted with it.

[@borzy]

I play WoW and Minecraft on my Surface Go 1 with a Pentium processor. I can download torrents, and run full OS. I can pull the keyboard off for movies. I can do none of those things together on an iPad or MacBook.

[@stoffelfitz4621]

(sorry for my bad english) but how good is minecraft on that thing. I want one for drawing and minecraft, basically. Dose it lag much?

[@borzy]

Stoffelfitz it’s playable. You’re not going to get great 60fps or anything, but perfectly playable. The new Core M2 will probably perform better.

[@stoffelfitz4621]

@@borzy Thank you so much for your answer, that really helped

[@Sarah726G]

I have a surface go 2 and love it. I am a bookkeeper and I keep it in my purse and work from ANYWHERE! It handles my email, asana, and QuickBooks online with ease. I have a lapdesk to make it more stable when working in the car or on the couch. I do tons of data entry and social media work from it. This is great for office work on the go. At home I have a larger laptop with multiple screens for doing my in depth work. This is perfect for office work on the go!

[@atakanbagis35]

Hello I wanna ask some questions you about device. Surface go2 has windows home or pro ? And I want to buy this device that has 4gb ram 64 GB SSD . Can I load it vs code, xamp and FileZilla ? And how is it battery ?

[@adithya7209]

Every KZbinr thinks every dude at home runs Photoshop 😒. 🤦‍♂️

[@eniolafolorunso1095]

It's so stupid tbh.

[@KhanPiesseONE]

But Photoshop is a good benchmark for heavy programs. And a lot of people do use heavy programs such as small games or Chrome with many tabs open.

[@eniolafolorunso1095]

@@KhanPiesseONE nobody buying a Surface Go is buying one for heavy programs. I doubt gamers are looking to to buy one either. It's for students or adults buying a secondary machine to check emails, edit office documents or use as a media player.

[@alphazar]

Because it can run Photoshop and sooner or later someone will put Photoshop and realised just because it can do something doesn't mean it can do it well...

[@carson9903]

@@eniolafolorunso1095 Right, but then he mentions, why not get a faster Chromebrook or an iPad?

[@erikanovakova97]

I think this will be perfect for me as a student - who already has a desktop at home for heavy duty stuff - to mainly make notes during classes on word. Also I am tired of the back pain of carrying around my heavy old laptop, and this thing is so lightweight! Not unimportantly, I enjoy just looking at it because it's so pretty :)

[@sparkequinox]

I click video to see if Deiter reviewed it, thankfully yes so continued to watch.

[@michaelwil]

I work for a DJ company that sometimes needs a light technician to use software to control the room lighting. Something like this is perfect, it can run the lightweight lighting application just fine and is insanely portable.

[@sophearithsaing6941]

I edited my school project video last year on my Surface Go. You just need to pick the right app.

[@ShoutmonXW]

Which is?

[@sophearithsaing6941]

@@ShoutmonXW I used Animotica

[@ShoutmonXW]

@@sophearithsaing6941 Thanks

[@luc7976]

"the other is a little faster and starts at $730". Seems it was forgotten in the review that includes extra $100 for LTE including in the comparisons.

[@unclezhu]

Yay he closed the door 👍👍👍

[@backlon]

Yancun Zhu never gonna live that down

[@mattceccotti]

Haven’t watched yet.Did he close the door behind him this time?

[@tibaitv253]

I love how he explains it in a layman’s term especially for someone who has no clue about tech related stuffs 😅

[@codenamemcicle3507]

3:36 that’s one thing I really love about the iPad, because it’s running a more limited OS I know that basically any app I get from the App Store is gonna run smoothly and quickly on it, because it was designed specifically for it. I would rather sacrifice some compatibility and have a smoother experience than have unlimited compatibility that chugs.

[@jeffriart]

Hey, I'm also in the center on that venn diagram :)

[@saadude7636]

Are you going to do a surface buds review soon?

[@paulowerneck779]

I love how they try to use Photoshop or edit video in literally any computer, as if it'd be a good reference for this device's purpose.

[@austin.eikermann]

It was a good reference for me

[@RogerioPereiradaSilva77]

Yeah, that bugs me as well. In all these years using computers, seeing them going from a niche product intended to be used by nerds and enthusiasts to a nearly ubiquitous device used by people from all walks of life and going back to a niche product mostly used by professionals as mobile devices take their place for regular people, I can count in the fingers of one hand how many of my acquaintances actually ever used Photoshop. The numbers are even worse when I think how many of them have ever edited a video in their lives. Why reviewers keep citing things like Photoshop and Premiere or Final Cut Pro as reasons for regular people picking up a device or not is beyond me.

[@taylorhadden]

@@RogerioPereiradaSilva77 It's on the top of their minds because that's what they use computers for. Just as gaming-centric reviewers will always test the latest games. Beyond that, video and image editing are relatively high-performance tasks that can show peak effectiveness of a system, and that creates a semi-effective loose benchmark. If somebody says "yeah, I can edit videos and have PS open at the same time no problem" then I know the machine probably is fast enough with good enough thermals that I can expect it to pull of my development workflow just fine. There are lots of review sites out there. If one isn't basing their reviews off of the things you're interested in, go somewhere else.

[@Affinehsaysblablabla]

All i do is browse, watch netflix and use ms word. Would you recommend me this?

[@WillJackDo]

Dieter, you're amazing at reviewing things...

[@robbehofman3839]

I have the first edition, 399. Runs basic 365 and chrometabs smooth. I love it, great mix between a usefull tablet and computer. Something the Ipad cant do. Even run my monitor with it its cool.

[@Adrian-kc3ch]

The reason why I REALLY need windows is that I have an old Chromebook and it is just way to slow I can't do online school work without being glitched out. The body of my Chromebook is also fully plastic and that makes it look like a cheap sucker. For me this a cheap upgrade, windows are more useful than IOS and Chrome OS. Plus I would never buy a product from Apple because they only care about the fortune they make from cheap low-quality devices.

[@shayannaqvi269]

**facepalm**

[@bobandbobandbob6285]

They are all hating on the M3 8100Y. It's really powerful with dual core, hyperthreading and turbo boost. They are as powerful as many older ultrabooks.

[@yeetusfetus8687]

Yeah, but it's not comparable to anything else that runs windows at that same price 🤷‍♀️

[@jeanbaptistelabelle]

@@yeetusfetus8687 because at the same price, you cannot get this combination of pen, great keyboard, 3:2 aspect ratio in a premium magnesium light and warm package.

[@yeetusfetus8687]

@@jeanbaptistelabelle that's true!

[@NotAVtuberPinkyPromise]

It's an iPad with a proper operating system instead of iOS. That's all you really need to say in order to justify this thing.

[@lizzam]

I think it's for business professionals who eats and drinks Office products, moves from one meeting room to another, and goes into conference calls often. The front facing video of the SG2 looks pretty good.

[@austin.eikermann]

I got a Go 2 to go with my Book 2 that I've had lol and I'm excited for it

[@bashicpfc3932]

Can you put in a microSD in it?

[@johnnyxp64]

Microsoft should ditch Intel and go with Ryzen 4xxxx series APUs. performance will be +50% at least and battery at least another 4hours

[@goff256]

Does AMD have a good 4.5-7w processor?

[@johnnyxp64]

@@goff256 they have 10w and they work on even smaller... and yeah they are more efficient than th 7w intel thar are actually NEVER 7w but more like 20w. is globally known that intel tdp (they are admitting it) is the best case scenario when the cpu is idle! but AMD tdp is when the cpu is under load!.

[@shanez1215]

With how good Ryzen is, I refuse to buy anything with Intel. I can't shake the thought of having way better performance, thermals, and battery life.

[@goff256]

Johnnyxp64 Actually, the Penguin Good and M3 are in that 4.5-7w range.

[@goff256]

Shanez1215 When AMD puts out a chip that can be in a device this small that has no fan, let me know.

[@AHOBOINTEXAS]

I owned the first surface go base model with a keyboard and I used it heavily for school. I used all Microsoft office apps and it worked... Alright. The biggest limitations I had on it was chrome and the ram. But the one factor I can honestly say about this laptop is that I have out grown the screen size and I do not recommend the surface go 2 because it won't maintain it's usefulness getting further into college. I used my financial aid to pay for a much more useful and powerful surface laptop 3 13" i5 matte black and I honestly love the laptop. I am one semester in and without a doubt it is the best laptop I have had for school. tl:dr don't buy a surface go 2 for school, spend more money and invest into a 13" laptop.

[@calebwaddell6948]

When you actually in school and you use a used surface pro 5.

[@Karabintree3]

I don't really need it but I was still conciser it to use it to take digital notes that I can also take by hand

[@albertobalamnavarro-medina9292]

Let me know when you’re taking orders for those t shirts you mentioned I’m a medium 😁

[@ashleighjaimaosborne3966]

Looking for a device for Itunes, to connect and move music files from external devices, Netflix, e mail. Don’t want a keyboard as long as it’s touchscreen. Don’t need a camera or want to draw or edit photos. Thinking this might work for me...thoughts? Thank you in advance. 🇨🇦

[@ronojoydutta8485]

Dieter’s cat at 1:22 😂

[@thellteller4723]

What an excellent presenter you are! Awesomely creative and enterprising!!! Cool and love it !!!

[@kokneyTheCad]

I’m a Virgo and my wife’s a Scorpio....SOLD!

[@sdfjsd]

I enjoy exploring different linux operating systems on virtualbox, or on my physical harddisk. Would a surface pro 7 work for me?

[@VardhanShrivastava]

are there no other use case scenarios? like really? only Photoshop and word comes to mind always? why is this always the case in all the reviews!? Once a guest lecturer at my college gave a complete presentation about data visualisation, frequently switching between Xcel, PowerPoint AND Microsoft power BI over HDMI on our class projector without any hiccups or problems! Can you guess what device he was using? Surface Go 1! seriously not everyone is fixated with photoshopping, video editing. The fact that all windows device reviews on the verge fixate on this, review after review is just sad and wrong.

[@vallsz]

the question is : is there a better option in the 5-600$ windows based tablet ?

[@svcross-do]

Please review the Chromebook Duet!

[@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? I definitely need the windows 10, hence why im not getting an ipad

[@daves9172]

I run virtual machines, photoshop, iis express, xampp and visual studio 2019 on my first gen surface go... just saying...

[@aniym21000]

Yeah, and I have run all of those on an ancient 2011 Core i3 laptop w/ 4GB RAM running Win10...that's what I used to code on before upgrading to a MBP many years later...I don't want to jump to conclusion re: the Verge review but I would like to see some basic usability/speed tests for these applications on this device

[@chrisalberti]

I ditched my iPad mini, which I liked a lot, for the original Surface Go, and I have been very happy with it. I go everywhere with my SG, with all the benefits of an iPad with the added benefit of being able to run my Office 365 business apps. I leave Photoshop[/Lightroom for my Surface Book. I am always interested when reviewers default to the "cool" apple products like the iPad Pro, which to my mind is a near useless device save for media content because of the limitations of iOS. I am considering upgrading to the SG2, just as I might have considered an iPad upgrade had I not left the iOS/Mac ecosystem.

[@keithkekezwa6868]

Another classic 'Non-Apple device' review by The Verge then.....

[@mattcaff]

Can we call it a tiny tablet if it’s the same size as an iPad, which is most of the market? I think that just makes it a normal sized tablet as opposed to the Surface Pro which is a large tablet. It’s not like it’s iPad Mini sized or something.

[@beamboy420]

Also literally don’t push it ..

[@abhs1141]

If we are light user , this is good . It is small , easy to carry Around , if you travel , outstation , camping , vacation this is so easy .