Microsoft has recently introduced a new Surface Laptop Go that is great for day-to-day usage and professionals or students who commute daily. It has good audio and camera, light and thin, a long-lasting battery, and has decent processor specs. Offering three configurations and colors available to choose from, the Surface Laptop Go has a starting price of around $745.00.
Camera and Audio
Camera and Mics
Sitting at the top of Surface Laptop Go's thin bezel is a decent 720p HD f2.0 front-facing camera that automatically adjusts lighting conditions on video calls according to the indoor and outdoor setting. Making it suitable for video conferencing, meetings, and virtual get-togethers. Situated on the same bezel camera's sides is a dual far-field studio mic, which captures and records clear audible sound for any on-going conferencing.
Omnisonic speakers
Hidden under the keyboard, the built-in Omnisonic speakers come with Dolby Audio and project a mid-range sound with solid bass, decent enough for day-to-day movie binge and music.
Processor, Memory and Storage
The Surface Laptop Go sits an i5-1035G1 processor, which is not the latest processor but still a competent chip for the light-weight laptop line. However, memory and storage difference starts to come in between the base model and configuration models. The base model offers a lower 4GB RAM and uses a 64GB eMMC storage drive, while configuration two and three offer an 8GB RAM and 128GB and 256GB SSD storage, respectively.
Light Weight
With a starting weight of 1.1kg, the Surface Laptop Go top casing, and keyboard cover is aluminum built. However, the base is polycarbonate made from 40% glass fiber and 30% post-consumer recycled material. And, despite using a polycarbonate base with a soft-touch finishing, the Surface Laptop Go's overall look does not look budget.
And even though it is not the lightest laptop in the market, the 1.1kg Surface Laptop Go is 15.69mm thin with 12.4-inch display size, making it relatively portable and manageable for frequent travelers or students to bring around.
13 Hour Long lasting Battery
Another highlight for the Surface Laptop Go would be the 13-hour long-lasting battery it has to offer. It comes with a 39W power supply and supports fast charging, with up to appx 60% with a 50 min charge. However, the overall battery life can only last up to 13 hours for typical usage and when in Windows 10 S mode. According to The Verge, the laptop battery can last approximately six hours for tasks such as 12 to 24 Chrome tabs and spreadsheets, a couple of apps, Spotify, and various downloads.
Convenience
The Surface Laptop Go also has a 12.4-inch PixelSense display in a 3:2 ratio for a more productive workspace, has precision color calibration, and is an HD touchscreen display.
It also has a fingerprint reader located in the power button and has a full-size keyboard with a large precision trackpad, giving the convenience needed for a more productive day at work. However, the fingerprint sensor is only available for configuration two and three.
Conclusion
All in all, among the three configurations, the Surface Laptop Go (Config two and three) is recommended for professionals or students who commute daily, have frequent video conferencing, and require only basic performance specs for their work. However, if you are open to other brands, there are laptops with better specifications and performance and a more premium look for a similar price range in the market.