The Surface Go 10" and Access Office 365 (1 Viewer)

Mike375

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Interesting that you find the performance good. My wife is thinking about a new laptop and I discounted the Go because of the Pentium processor, which struck me as antiquated. Maybe I need to take another look at it. That said, the screen is probably smaller than she'd like.

Dimensions are identical to standard iPad.

However, unlike other laptops, all the Surface stuff and also the MS laptops are 1.5 to 1 aspect ratio as compared to 1.33 to 1 for all iPads and 1.77 to 1 for standard laptops and most monitors.

I have the USB-C to VGA cable adaptor and from MS and of course you can get USB-C to HDMI.

I can't fault the performance. The Portege core M5 would be faster but my guess is SSDs might be faster now and so that brings the Surface G up to the Portege and sometimes faster.

One caveat I would add is I have never been a speed merchant. As long as speed is adequate. If I was buying 15.6" laptop tomorrow the only reason I would get an i5 is because i3s are no longer common on the ground.

A neighbour has an old Compaq Presario that had Windows 7. I converted to W10 for him and I have also run my own data base on it and the thing is fine and is Intel Celeron. Although with later W10 it is very slow and I mean very slow to start up be ready for using.

I always like things in pairs but was cautious about the Surface Go so only got one of them but a second one was ordered and due anytime.

If you get one and have Office 365 it will by default download as 64 Bit and that stuffed Access for me so went back and uninstalled and went again but selecting 32 Bit and all was fine. My knowledge on hardware is pretty limited but my understanding is Office 365 now downloads 64 Bit by default but not on all computer. On my Toshiba Porteges it download as 32 Bit. I seemed to remember reading it can be to do with what the computer has had on it and perhaps age of computer.

To get to 32 Bit you have when installing Office 365 click on Need Help and that takes you to language choices and also 32 Bit or 64 Bit.

A big feature of then is the kick out stand as it can be put at any angle. In fact you can fold it right out so the Surface Go sits on the table and the top of it is only about 1/2" or 3/4" off the table which makes it good if you want to use screen keyboard for a fair bit of typing.
 

pbaldy

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I appreciate your thoughts, I'm going to suggest she check it out. If I remember correctly it had a smallish hard drive too, but I don't think she stores a lot anyway.
 

Mike375

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I appreciate your thoughts, I'm going to suggest she check it out. If I remember correctly it had a smallish hard drive too, but I don't think she stores a lot anyway.

128gb. My Porteges are also 128gd. Does not affect me as I have stuff on external hard drives plugged into USB Hub. Sometimes I copy something across and other times just run stuff straight from external drives.

My Surface Go and including the other one due to arrive are cellular.
 

Mike375

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One limitation I found relates to a large USB Hub I have which has 13 USB outlets. Each port can be turned off or on individually.

Presently 7 ports are use. The first port for a wireless mouse receiver, second for a printer, third for a scanner, fourth and fifth for external hard drives, sixth for external CD ROM drive and seventh for receiver for wireless keyboard. The USB Hub has an AC Adaptor but I have never needed it.

Plugging it into the Surface Go it ran everything except for the seventh port which is the receiver for the wireless keyboard.

I made a mistake with that as I just discovered. I opened Word on the Portege and no typing but I had forgot the wireless keyboard was now connected to the Surface Go, not the Portege.:D

I just took it a bit further. With the external CD ROM I put the software on for both printer and scanner and also the printed and scanned. With the two external hard drives I could copy folders between both drives and backwards and forwards with the computer.

This little devil continues to surprise me. It looks sort of funny sitting flat on the table surrounded by everything including external monitor. It feels strange this tiny thing running everything.
 

Gasman

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Mike,

Could you post a link for this super USB hub please.?

TIA
 

Mike375

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Mike,

Could you post a link for this super USB hub please.?

TIA

I bought it at a placed called Officeworks in Australia. Could not see it there any more and 7 port ones are a different brand.

I just took a photo of it with iPhone but is 2 mb so way too big jpeg to upload. Brand on it is mbeat.

It has 7 ports on the side and 6 ports on the top.

I just remembered I can reduce size emailing to myself
 

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Mike375

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A couple of negatives compared to an iPad if just used like an iPad.

Like any computer it will use more battery in sleep in mode than an iPad. You can put Hibernate on the "shutdown" menu but that does not come on instantly like hitting the Home button on an iPad.

With the camera, I am not a photo person but use them as a "scanner" before I throw a page of paper notes out. Also use the camera so I can enlarge very small print. The bit I have done with the Surface Go is excellent for the picture but seems like more mucking about and that includes emailing a picture. Maybe if I spend some time with it I might change my mind.

However, I have not tended to leave it turned on like an iPad.

I saw a review today that might have been a good one and was "if you use an iPad as an iPhone with a big screen then get the iPad". The iPad will probably do some things better or perhaps more simply but of course the Surface Go will do things the iPad simply can't do.

As a computer it continues to be spot on. Using it makes you think the day will be coming when the computer is the size of an iPhone and it has Hubs, external monitor and whatever else hanging of it. On what I consider my main work table, today I pulled the Toshiba Portege from the USB Hub and connected the Surface Go and used it for everything. Just had it laying flat. Being so tiny it make the table clean an neat.:)
 

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