I love my ancient laptop. I bought it in the early days of my blogging journey and it has opened up a world of friendships and opportunities I never dreamed possible. However after a Microsoft event organised in collaboration with John Lewis last week I now feel I want, no, NEED a Microsoft Surface Go.
My laptop was, at the time I bought it, one of the lightest on the market. Now it feels heavy and bulky. Letters on the keyboard have started to drop off at inconvenient moments (have you noticed "t's" missing lately?) and I'm worried that shoving it into my rucksack and lugging it round will cause it to have a hissy fit and shut down permanently on me.
My children use Chromebooks (purchased through their school which uses them across the board) and I envy the size and weight of them but they are utilitarian at best and not fit for what I need.
One look at the sleek Microsoft Surface Go at a launch event last week and I fell in love. Bear in mind that the very lovely Ben Fogle was at this event who I have a huge crush on, and I STILL spent more time drooling over the Surface Go than the rangy yet rugged explorer.
The official blurb about the new device on the website states that "New Surface Go is perfect for all your daily tasks, giving you laptop performance, tablet portability and a stunning touchscreen."
That actually sums the device up beautifully. Its portability is actually the first reason I need a Surface Go - here are all my reasons in no particular order.
Unusually for an event packed out with influencers, it seemed that everyone attending was equally as impressed as I was with this nifty little bit of kit if the comments at the event and on social media afterwards were anything to go by.
Often I attend these things and am excited by the products but feel doubtful I would really use them in daily life or pay out my own money to buy them. The Surface Go is most definitely not in this category. I'd use it in a heartbeat as a back up to my main laptop for when I am out and about and to be honest, if my laptop died, think the Surface Go would make a perfectly good main device for my purposes.
My children use Chromebooks (purchased through their school which uses them across the board) and I envy the size and weight of them but they are utilitarian at best and not fit for what I need.
One look at the sleek Microsoft Surface Go at a launch event last week and I fell in love. Bear in mind that the very lovely Ben Fogle was at this event who I have a huge crush on, and I STILL spent more time drooling over the Surface Go than the rangy yet rugged explorer.
The official blurb about the new device on the website states that "New Surface Go is perfect for all your daily tasks, giving you laptop performance, tablet portability and a stunning touchscreen."
That actually sums the device up beautifully. Its portability is actually the first reason I need a Surface Go - here are all my reasons in no particular order.
- Small and Lightweight. Surface Go measures 245mm x175mm x8.3mm and weighs just 522g in its bare-naked form. Adding the Type Cover (sold separately) adds grams of course but also adds incredible versatility and I would not leave it out when building my ideal package. Even with the Type Cover added the Surface Go would slip easily into an average handbag, rucksack or messenger bag and would not leave you with an aching neck from the weight
- Versatile. In Tablet mode the 10" PixelSense™ touchscreen feels as fast, sparklingly bright and responsive as any well-known tablet. The screen has 1800 x 1200 (217PPI) resolution and 3:2 aspect ratio. I LOVED the simple built in flip out stand - no 3rd party leather-esque case required here to watch movies, YouTube or to browse the web. It has a USB connection, 3.5mm headphone jack, a Surface Connect port (for connecting other Surface devices) and a MicroSDXC Card Reader. Make it more laptop by adding the Type Cover.
- Loaded. Surface Go comes with Windows 10 in S mode (a limited version of Windows) and a Microsoft Office 365 Home 30-day trial. You can choose to upgrade to the full version of Windows 10 of course. I pay for Microsoft Office monthly so I always have the updated version. It has an impressive battery life - Microsoft claim it's capable of up to 9 hours of video playback although battery life obviously varies significantly with usage, settings and other factors. It has an Intel Pentium Gold processor and is available with 64GB/4GB RAM or 128GB/8GB RAM.
- Blogger Friendly. As well as being very portable so you can blog on the train, coach, at conferences, in hotel rooms and on your knee wherever you are, the Surface Go has two cameras to make on-the-go vlogging and event/product photography easy. Theres a 5.0MP front facing camera and a 8.0MP rear facing autofocus camera with 1080p HD video. There's also a single microphone and stereo speakers with Dolby Audio Premium. The front facing Windows Hello face authentication camera you can choose to use to sign in helps to keep your tech secure.
- Family Friendly. At the event I attended in London with my 9-year-old son we got to see the Surface Go in all its inspirational glory with a heavy emphasis on how creative you can be using the device. I was blown away by the fantastic Surface Pen (sold separately) which allowed me and my little man to draw, complete puzzles, make notes, colour in and create amazing 3D models with ease. You can also add a Surface Mobile Mouse although I found the trackpad very easy and responsive to use. The front facing camera has a 1080mp Skype HD video which makes face to face calls to friends and family simple.
Unusually for an event packed out with influencers, it seemed that everyone attending was equally as impressed as I was with this nifty little bit of kit if the comments at the event and on social media afterwards were anything to go by.
The children (aged mostly between 7-12) testing the Surface Go appeared absorbed and interested in exploring its creative possibilities and even though Minecraft was installed on one Surface Go my son was playing with he was equally happy to abandon that and use the Surface Pen to create a weird blended animal and work with one of the event helpers in a guided cartooning race.
Often I attend these things and am excited by the products but feel doubtful I would really use them in daily life or pay out my own money to buy them. The Surface Go is most definitely not in this category. I'd use it in a heartbeat as a back up to my main laptop for when I am out and about and to be honest, if my laptop died, think the Surface Go would make a perfectly good main device for my purposes.
The base price is very reasonable and although adding the Surface Pen and Type Cover does add to the cost they elevate it from a nice gadget to an all star all rounder. I am very much hoping the three part bundle ends up under my Christmas Tree this year!
Disclaimer: I attended an event organised by Microsoft and John Lewis for the purpose of helping me to write this honest review. All information about tech specs and suchlike are taken from the Surface Go website and therefore I cannot personally guarantee the accuracy of the figures quoted. Always double check information offered before purchasing.
Disclaimer: I attended an event organised by Microsoft and John Lewis for the purpose of helping me to write this honest review. All information about tech specs and suchlike are taken from the Surface Go website and therefore I cannot personally guarantee the accuracy of the figures quoted. Always double check information offered before purchasing.