If you are looking to purchase a new computer in 2019 chances are the Microsoft surface has been in consideration. But there are so many that are so similar which one do you choose?
I am Brandon With BAD Tech & Gaming where we will be discussing that question and more. Hang around until the end for our recommendation.
In front of us here we have the surface pro 256GB I5 and the surface go 128GB
Now in this review we will also be talking about the Surface pen and mouse briefly.
WHAT ARE THE DIFFERENCES?
The Surface go looks like a tablet that is trying to be a computer at 10 inches and the surface pro looks like a computer that is trying t be a tablet at 12.3 inches. The GO is great to hold in the hand and is very light weighing only 1.15 lbs. , because of its small size the keyboard feels petite and I have smaller hands. This really makes it hard to get used to . Also I have found that the gesture navigation works at least 10 times better on the pro than it does for the go, it is not apples gestures but this Is the best I have ever seen on a windows machine.
The surface PRO is a little heavy for use with one hand coming in at 1.7lbs, however the keyboard is fantastic in comparison to the GO. They both are very clicky but the surface pro feels much more natural overall making the experience feel like a PC. The screen on the pro is a difference maker at a beautiful 2736 x 1824 display vs the go at a 1800 x 1200 display.
If you look closely at the pro it does have a gap for the air vents just something that may surprise some people. In my use I didn’t really get to use it hard enough to hear a fan noise. Speaking of power with intel's 8th gen processor and 8GB of ram this machine should be able to handle some simple games on low graphics with its integrated HD 620 graphics. I will have to make another Video/Blog on how it works with the PRO if you guys want to see more. Now the go can run games at low but this wont last forever. Much like the surface 3 I am typing this review on it will get bogged down over time. That is just not what the atom and Pentium processors were made for.
Spec wise the PRO dominates the GO which I suppose makes sense seeing as I is a PRO product. Specs listed at the end of the BLOG.
WHAT DO THEY HAVE IN COMMON?
The hinge which is superb or either device! You can bend it back what ever angle that works best for the task at hand, the ability to go from laptop to a drafting table like experience is amazing. The surface pen does feel the same across the board now for those who have not use the surface pen before it works well. You do have to press a bit harder on this one before it does anything (on both devices) I think that has todo with the nib at the end. however the fact that you can attach it magnetically to the side of the device does come in handy more often than not.
The surface pen is a very built device it has a button as an eraser and a button near the grip of the pen itself, now this does work the same across both devices. On thing that I find interesting on pretty much ang surface device is when you drag the pen slowly across the screen slowly from corner to corner it has a bit of a wiggle. But if you make that same gesture going fast it is very smooth so depending on what your plan is for using the pen can make a bit of a difference. However I did find myself being able to predict this very fast which rendered it useable.
Also here with all of this we have the Surface mouse this has to be one of the coolest mice that I have ever used it comes in the box in its flat state meaning that it is powered off only to turn on and be ready to connect when you bend it. It easily snaps into place almost like one of those wrist bands. Let me know in the comments if you know what the name of those things are overall usage of it is well as you would expect so no reason to harp on that. It only has two buttons and two finger sliding to scroll. This mouse may not be the best for gamers
The all important price (there are different variants of each the prices listed are what were reviewed)
The PRO 6 256 gb is 1199
And
The Go 4gb of ram 128 gb is 499
IN CONCLUSION
Over my limited time with these devices they are very similar but made for two completely different use cases. If you need a mobile screen or are a existing tablet/ipad user, something to browse the internet and take notes with well then the go is perfect especially for Students. However if you use various programs use it for work every day and type a lot then the Pro will be for you the bigger screen and increase in power will make a big difference.
I would purchase the PRO however my needs are vastly different than most people.
Thanks for reading hope we see you again,
BAD Tech & Gaming
SPECS
Surface Go
Processor & Memory:
Intel® Pentium® Gold 4415Y Processor
4GB RAM
Drives:
128GB Solid State Drive
Operating System:
Microsoft® Windows 10 in S Mode
Graphics & Video:
10" Touchscreen PixelSense™ (1800 x 1200) Display
Intel® HD Graphics 615
Communications:
Windows Hello face authentication camera (front-facing)
5.0MP front-facing camera with 1080p Skype HD video
8.0MP rear-facing autofocus camera with 1080p Full HD video
802.11 AC WLAN + Bluetooth 4.1
Audio:
2W stereo speakers with Dolby® Audio™ Premium
I/O Ports & Slots:
1x USB-C
1x microSDXC Card Reader
1x Headphone Jack
1x Surface Connect Port
Weight:
1.15 lbs (522 g)
2. Surface Pro 6
Processor & Memory:
8th-generation Intel® Core™ i5 Processor
8GB RAM
Drives:
256GB Solid State Drive
Operating System:
Microsoft® Windows 10 Home
Graphics & Video:
12.3" Touchscreen PixelSense™ (2736 x 1824) Display
Intel® HD Graphics 620
Communications:
Windows Hello face authentication camera (front-facing)
5.0MP front-facing camera with 1080p Skype HD video
8.0MP rear-facing autofocus camera with 1080p Full HD video
Audio:
1.6W stereo speakers with Dolby® Audio™ Premium
I/O Ports & Slots:
1x Full-Size USB 3.0
1x microSDXC Card Reader
1x Headphone Jack
1x Mini Display Port
Approximate Weight: 1.70lbs (Without Type Cover)