Microsoft Surface Laptop Go – 12.4″ Touchscreen – Intel Core i5 – 8GB Memory – 256GB SSD – Platinum

Make sure you are okay with the compromises. I am pleasantly surprised as I really like the surface laptop Go. I feel like Microsoft missed a home run here with the base model having 4 gb of ram and no fingerprint sensor and then having to go to the next trim at $699 to get the 8 gb ram and fingerprint sensor. Result: ground rule double.Likes:Design: it is a nice looking device that stands out from the others in its category. The ice blue is attractive while not the most obvious blue still retains a nice look. The plastic underside does not detract from this either.Size: It is compact and fairly light.Screen: Despite the sub 1080p resolution, the screen is still attractive and bright with accurate colors. The 3:2 aspect ratio also makes this a hit because the screen is taller and easier to review documents, because you have to scroll less than a 16:9 aspect ratio.Color options: there are 3 different color options to choose from, options are always good.Ports: having usb-c and a is great as well as having the device charge from USB-c along with the mag connector for charging.Trackpad: this is on the nicest trackpads I have ever used as my fingers glide across it. Mouse movement is great.Price: the base model starts at $550.Fingerprint reader: nice and fast logonPerformance: all models have an i5 processor and I think this is more than fine for everyday users, even the base model will give you good performance.Neutral:Keyboard: it is okay to type on for me and not as good as the pixelbook go keyboard because it has a somewhat mushy feeling when typing.Screen: it is nice but still it is under 1080p for a device that cost $550 and up. When was the last time you found a device that was not full hd for $500 or up?Sound: I think it sounds decent, not amazing, not a pro or con.Base Model: 4 gb really microsoft you could not have just put an extra 4 gigs in and charge $599. Why limit it this way? Also no fingerprint reader in base model as well.Battery life: it is in the 7-8 hours territory. Not amazing but not awful either.Cons:Keyboard: no backlight. This is the biggest con again when is the last time you had a device over $500 with no backlit keyboard. It makes typing in poorly lit rooms more difficult and a no fly zone for those who work in darkness.Price: on the highest tier model Microsoft is really trying to upcharge you just for added storage.$899 just highlights this device’s shortcomings even more in that price bracket.Wrap up: I looked over a bunch of devices in this class and some not in its class. This is not the quintessential device for me but it is very good. My biggest gripe is the lack of backlit keyboard on a device in this price range. I find the screen is very nice looking but the sub 1080p comes across as tacky also. I feel they could have popped an i3 in the base model and then added the fingerprint sensor. Avoid the $899 model as that is too much to pay for something so compromised.Also consider: The Surface laptop 3 is something to consider if you are worried about the compromises being made. It has a backlit keyboard, a full HD+ display and is larger at 13.5 screen display. It does cost more, and also the bezel around the display is larger.

Solid Basic Laptop. I purchased this for work, I originally had the Surface Pro 4 tablet. My work consists of lots of emails, designing marketing promotions and ads in Canva, Microsoft Office (powerpoint, excel and word). So nothing too crazy. I will say when I was moving files over, side by side there is a difference in picture quality. The Surface Pro 4 tablet has a very sharp picture. The Laptop Go is a little fuzzier. I can get used to it and for the price, this is a great laptop (the tablet was about $1,000+). I can feel my eyes straining a little bit to read which may not be great in the long run, so I would say if you’re not using this for 40 hours a week you’d be fine. If you are, I recommend either getting a different laptop or upping the font to help eye strain.In regards to the seller, they are awesome. I got the computer quickly. I reached out to them to ask about the resolution and they were quick to respond, and asked that I go to Microsoft to discuss. Would recommend them.

Go for the 8 Ram or more. I love this little guy. I first purchased the Apple Air and after using it for a week I just didn’t like it. Don’t get me wrong the Apple Air had a great battery life and key board. I just am so use to windows that some Apple programs I found harder to use. This 8 ram Surface go so far has been doing very well for my needs. It price is a few $100 less then the Apple and it seems just as quiet as the Air. The screen is pretty good not as good as the air but if you don’t have them side by side you won’t know the difference. I did find a clear plastic cover to fit over my Surface go on Ebay. The cover I got for the Apple Air was easer to find then the one for the Go. All in all so far this laptop seems well built and I’m very happy with how well it works and how well it’s built. I love the color sandstone it’s very close to the Apple Gold. Good pick for the money! Seems to be very little fan sound. In fact I never hear it like I did on my older HP laptop.

Don’t Buy Renewed. I was convinced by Amazon that buying renewed would be beneficial to the world and eco-friendly, so I trusted them and bought a renewed laptop. The laptop itself was great, I actually ended up loving the laptop. Everything worked fine and it seemed like new for the first week give or take… except for the charger. The charger is similar to Apple’s chargers in the sense that you can put in in any direction and it should still charge. Well, my charger right out of the box was already problematic and I had to angle it just right to get my laptop to charge. Fast forward to last night and my charger just stops working. I tried all the different angles and blowing into it and everything but my laptop will just not charge any more. Returning it ASAP since I literally cannot use it any more. /:

Fast & Light College Laptop. I finally decided to shell out money to replace my pos laptop, and I am so glad I did! It is the perfect size for college and doesn’t take up much space in my book bag. This laptop is sleek and feels high-tech. I can have multiple tabs open w/o a problem. I am able to multi-task and access my college work, personal projects, & work projects w/ ease.Additional Pros: Touchscreen; Fingerprint IDCon: The battery life seems shorter than expected but it isn’t a major con.