A few weeks after the initial announcement, Microsoft’s newest Surface devices — the Surface Laptop Go and a refreshed Surface Pro X top-end model — are now available for purchase. We haven’t seen any reviews of the new Surface Pro X model just yet, but there’s plenty of new Surface Laptop Go impressions on the internet.
As usual, the reviews are all over the map. With some being positive, and some being negative. We’ll save you the trouble of digging to find them, here’s a recap if you’re considering picking up one for yourself.
The Verge: 6/10: A Case study in cost cutting
Leading the list of reviews is a piece from The Verge’s Monica Chin. This publication gave the Surface Laptop Go a 6/10 score.
They find that it’s compact and light. They also love the 3:2 aspect ratio, as well as the processor inside. On the downside, there’s the lack of the backlit keyboard, a low-resolution screen, and limited port selection.
Monica had what can be seen as some harsh words about the Surface Laptop Go, too. “This laptop doesn’t fit into today’s market. It’s too expensive to compete in the budget space, and it makes too many compromises to rise to the top of the midrange,” writes Monica.
Windows Central: 4.5/5: This delightful mini PC gets (almost) everything right
Next up is a positive review from Daniel Rubino at Windows Central. Much like The Verge, Windows Central really likes the overall hardware, as well as the choice of Intel Core i5 processor in the Surface Laptop Go.
Daniel, though, has some notes about the resolution and low PPI on the display. He mentions it is color-accurate and bright. Additionally, he also gets into the battery life, finding it lasts between 7 and 8 hours. The lows for Daniel include the GPU and the lack of keyboard backlighting.
This one sentence summary puts it best. “The Surface Laptop Go is a smaller Surface Laptop, and it gets nearly everything right, making it an easy sell,” writes Daniel.
Neowin: 8/10: The ultra-portable Surface PC
Moving along is a review from Neowin’s Rich Woods. He’s all for the Surface Laptop Go’s two-tone design, lightweight and compactness, and the fingerprint reader. Not to mention the performance of the Intel Core i5 processor. His lows, though, include the lack of LTE, the battery life, low pixel density on the screen, and the keyboard not being backlit.
In one sentence, Richard proclaims the Surface as a “nice little laptop.” “The Surface Laptop Go is a really nice little laptop, little being part of the value proposition. It’s not just lightweight, but it’s compact. I kind of love it.,” writes Woods.
Tom’s Hardware: Economy of Scale
Third, on our list is a review from Tom’s Hardware. These folks really like the attractive, aluminum design, and the lightweight form factor. There’s also the plus of the keyboard for them, too. But, like everyone else, a negative seems to be the sub-1080p display. Battery life, the lack of a fingerprint reader on the base model, and poor specs on base models are also points of note in their review.
Another one sentence summary puts the Surface Laptop Go in some perspective. “The Microsoft Surface Laptop Go is a pretty, lightweight device with a premium feel, but the hardware inside doesn’t match what you can get for the price elsewhere,” notes the reviewer, Andrew E. Freedman.
Will you pick up Surface Laptop Go?
Indeed, Surface Laptop Go is quite an interesting device for Microsoft. It now sits along with Surface Go as an affordable Surface but comes in the laptop form factor that everyone loves. Do you agree with these reviews? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
