The Surface Laptop Go is Microsoft’s attempt to make a light and compact laptop that still has enough power to run your multimedia files. Considering the ‘Go’ moniker. has Microsoft compromised on anything to make it the cheapest laptop in its repertoire? We find out in our Surface Laptop Go review.
Microsoft’s Surface line-up arguably offers the best Windows 10 experience since both the hardware and software are designed and developed by Microsoft themselves which results in an optimized and smooth experience for the end-user. This is something that Apple has been doing for years with the iPhone and now more recently, with the Mac too starting with the ARM-based M1 silicon. While the guts of the Surface Laptop Go that we have been using for almost a month now is still manufactured by Intel, the rest of the hardware choices are still made by Microsoft, the result of which is a premium experience even on an entry-level device that does not break the bank. Starting at a price of Rs.71,999, is the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go your best window to Windows? Let’s dig under the surface and find out. The Surface Laptop Go is a notebook meant to be carried around which means its design philosophy leans towards the portable side. This makes it extremely joyful to use whether you have it on your lap while working or you slide it into your backpack while on the move. The metallic chassis is also fairly thin and while there is nothing out of the ordinary about the way it looks, the laptop maintains a sober profile and can fit into any environment. Whether you are a student in a classroom or you are seated for a meeting in your company’s conference room, the Surface Laptop Go will fit right in and look classy. The top of the notebook only has the Microsoft logo which looks elegant, and the grey accents found on the inside only add to the overall appeal of the Surface Laptop Go. While a bold, in-your-face design language like the one we see on gaming laptops may only attract a niche demographic, the subtle design of the Surface Laptop Go is sure to please everyone. Another thing to appreciate is that there are no ugly stickers on the palm-rest, unlike every other Windows laptop. The Surface Laptop Go has zero give or flex on the deck and feels sturdy to hold. The hinge, too, is solid and the display does not wobble even when pressure is applied on either side. The hinge is also smooth allowing for the laptop to be opened with just a single finger when resting on a surface, something that a lot of folks actually seem to care about. Since ports are what we mentioned first in the sub-heading, let us get through what all you can plug into the Surface Laptop Go. On the right side of the laptop, we get a USB-A port accompanied by a USB-C port and a 3.5mm headphone jack. Do note that the USB-C port is not a Thunderbolt 3 compliant one and can only be used for data transfer up to 10Gbps, power two 4K displays, and charge the laptop through PD up to 45W. On the right side of the notebook, there is Microsoft’s Surface Connector which can be used to charge the laptop using the supplied charger and also to connect an external dock that is sold separately. The dock can extend the ports on the laptop and would be handy if you wish to connect multiple displays and external devices to it. The charger snaps onto the connector like Apple’s MagSafe back in the day on the older Mac which is convenient. Thankfully, though, the Surface Laptop Go, as mentioned earlier can also charge via the USB-C port which is very handy especially given that the Surface Connector is a proprietary port and if you forget to carry your charger, you can always use a USB-PD charger to juice up the laptop.
