Costco $549.99 Surface Go 4GB/128GB with Type Cover Bundle

[mi7chy]

https://www.costco.com/Microsoft-Su...e---Surface-Type-Cover.product.100428070.html

128GB storage is a special Costco configuration.

Great solution for someone who can't do real work on the toy iPad and doesn't want to carry two devices, an iPad and a Macbook 12", to get the combined functionality while costing less than the entry level iPad 9.7. Plus, one Surface Go can be shared with the whole family with unique logins which the iPads can't do.

iPad bundle price comparisons but the keyboards aren't nearly as good...

iPad 9.7 2GB/128GB $429 with Brydge Bluetooth Keyboard $129.99
Total $558.99

iPad Pro 10.5 4GB/64GB $649 with Smart Keyboard $159
Total $808

 

[SteveJUAE]

And you have native SD card support, screen mirroring and a USB port so less addons/dongles out of the box

If you have a family Office account each user (up to 5) also get 1TB of cloud storage

 

[xraydoc]

While I'm very much a Mac guy, I'm stuck on Windows for work -- like most people. I gave the Surface Pro 3 a solid test run when it first came out. Unfortunately this was during the Windows 8 days... Didn't make that great of a tablet (nothing was finger-friendly) and didn't do that well as a laptop (hot and poor battery life).

Then the original 12.9" iPad Pro came out with the Pencil and keyboard, so I dumped the SP3. I've been on the same iPP since November of 2015. Still holding up very, very well despite some battery wear. However, I've got a new job and even more Windows dependence. While Parallels works reasonably well on my MBP, I'm looking again at a real Windows device. This new Surface may fit the bill. I'd have to take it off the Windows 10 S software and, presumably, sacrifice some speed and battery life, but if the battery is "good enough" and the speed hit doesn't suffer too much (I mostly use office-type apps plus a low-impact imaging application called Carestream), it may make a good iPad & laptop replacement.

I was waiting for the next version of the iPad Pro but now I'm really going to have to think seriously about this.

 

[BeatCrazy]

And you have native SD card support, screen mirroring and a USB port so less addons/dongles out of the box

If you have a family Office account each user (up to 5) also get 1TB of cloud storage

No USB-A port on Surface Go, so you're still stuck with #donglelife. Which doesn't bother me all that bad.

 

[mi7chy]

No USB-A port on Surface Go, so you're still stuck with #donglelife. Which doesn't bother me all that bad.

Not nearly as anemic as the more costly Macbook 12" with only a single USB-C for everything so no SD slot, no dedicated charging port and no 3.5mm audio jack while the Surface Go has USB-C, dedicated quick disconnect charging port (like MagSafe), micro SD slot that adds up to 400GB+ removable secondary storage and 3.5mm audio jack. So, Macbook 12" is #donglelife while Surface Go is a non-issue.

 

[BeatCrazy]

Not nearly as anemic as the more costly Macbook 12" with only a single USB-C for everything so no SD slot, no dedicated charging port and no 3.5mm audio jack while the Surface Go has USB-C, dedicated quick disconnect charging port (like MagSafe), micro SD slot that adds up to 400GB+ removable secondary storage and 3.5mm audio jack. So, Macbook 12" is #donglelife while Surface Go is a non-issue.

My 12" MacBook has a 3.5mm headphone jack

 

[mi7chy]

My 12" MacBook has a 3.5mm headphone jack

Not for long. How do you use the iPhone bundled Lightning Earpods on the Macbook? You'll need at least three dongles (included dongle plus Lightning and 3.5mm gender changer dongles) if it works at all. Or, charge and use USB-C at the same time?

#tripledongle #donglelife

 

[BeatCrazy]

Not for long. How do you use the iPhone bundled Lightning Earpods on the Macbook? You'll need at least three dongles (included dongle plus Lightning and 3.5mm gender changer dongles) if it works at all. Or, charge and use USB-C at the same time?

#donglelife

I use AirPods with my MacBooks.

Can’t recall a time I’ve ever needed to charge and use USB-C at the same exact time.

 

[eyeseeyou]

https://www.costco.com/Microsoft-Su...e---Surface-Type-Cover.product.100428070.html

128GB storage is a special Costco configuration.

Great solution for someone who can't do real work on the toy iPad and doesn't want to carry two devices, an iPad and a Macbook 12", to get the combined functionality while costing less than the entry level iPad 9.7. Plus, one Surface Go can be shared with the whole family with unique logins which the iPads can't do.

iPad bundle price comparisons but the keyboards aren't nearly as good...

iPad 9.7 2GB/128GB $429 with Brydge Bluetooth Keyboard $129.99
Total $558.99

iPad Pro 10.5 4GB/64GB $649 with Smart Keyboard $159
Total $808

Yup really can’t argue against the price.

As a parent... I’d still probably go with an older macbook lol

 

[pika2000]

Surface Go is not competing with the iPad, it’s competing with traditional laptops. Microsoft should’ve just bundled the keyboard together to begin with. Selling it separately is an obvious cash grab.

 

[mi7chy]

Yup really can’t argue against the price.

As a parent... I’d still probably go with an older macbook lol

That's actually not a bad idea. Any device, even a legacy non-touch/pen clamshell, that can multiboot Linux and Windows to prepare kids for the real world gets an approval. Plus, you don't have to deal with the #donglelife, castrated function keys for touch bar and keyboard malfunction issues of recent Macbook models. Only drawbacks with older MacBooks are potentially missing h265 and vp9 (YouTube) hardware decoding, harder to get genuine replacement parts like battery along with higher risk of Apple dropping MacOS/driver/Boot Camp support which are non-issues with newer baby Kaby Lake and Surface Go and since 2007 era devices run the latest Linux and Windows 10 Pro fine.

 

[eyeseeyou]

That's actually not a bad idea. Any device, even a legacy non-touch/pen clamshell, that can multiboot Linux and Windows to prepare kids for the real world gets an approval. Plus, you don't have to deal with the #donglelife, castrated function keys for touch bar and keyboard malfunction issues of recent Macbook models. Only drawbacks with older MacBooks are potentially missing h265 and vp9 (YouTube) hardware decoding, harder to get genuine replacement parts like battery along with higher risk of Apple dropping MacOS/driver/Boot Camp support which are non-issues with newer baby Kaby Lake and Surface Go and since 2007 era devices run the latest Linux and Windows 10 Pro fine.

Yeah depending on the use case the macbook unibody mid 2012, still upgradable, is a really solid laptop.

I just updated the fiancés to 8gb and a 256gb ssd and it feels like a brand new macbook with all the benefits you’ve just mentioned.

 

[SteveJUAE]

No USB-A port on Surface Go, so you're still stuck with #donglelife. Which doesn't bother me all that bad.

Personally I see it as a step up as many of these little PC/Tablets typically had a single Micro-USB A.

Agreed in some instances a dongle may be required but there was no option to fit a USB-A port given it its depth. If this is a companion device chances are you have dongles to hand from your main

I have often connected to a TV via HDMI when streaming and needed to charge at same time with a dedicated charge port that also has a dock option at least keeps dongle size down if you just need USB-A

 

[BeatCrazy]

Personally I see it as a step up as many of these little PC/Tablets typically had a single Micro-USB A.

Agreed in some instances a dongle may be required but there was no option to fit a USB-A port given it its depth. If this is a companion device chances are you have dongles to hand from your main

I have often connected to a TV via HDMI when streaming and needed to charge at same time with a dedicated charge port that also has a dock option at least keeps dongle size down if you just need USB-A

No issues here with USB-C. If the Go didn't have it, I wouldn't have bought it. My MacBook Pro/12" MacBooks do just fine with USB-C and I stocked up on 29w chargers and cables when Target had them on clearance a while back for $25.

 

[AppleRobert]

I’ll check it out. I think they give 90 days for returns which is plenty of time to evaluate it.

 

[t.portis]

The iPad is not a toy. I use it everyday to get real work done. When I see statements like that I wonder if the person hasn't tried an iPad or just doesn't know how to use it. Since iPads are being used more and more in surgical suites, glad you'll be unconscious and won't see the "toy" being used to determine blood loss during an operation.

This device looks interesting, but I haven't used a Windows machine in five years.

Not sure what kind of "real world" experience you need that requires a dual booting Windows and Linux machine. The high level skills like writing, analysis, project management, and working collaboratively with others are the real world skills we're looking for. Honestly, you can do that on just about any system today. If staff or faculty need an iPad, MacBook, or Dell desktop just let us know what makes you productive and which operating system you personally prefer.

 

[mi7chy]

The iPad is not a toy. I use it everyday to get real work done.

Just because someone rides a tricycle to work doesn't make it equivalent to a car. It's still a toy and a tiny subset of a car just like a toy iPad is a tiny subset of even a basic Surface Go. iOS devices used as electronic document viewer, electronic patient record lookup, kiosks, etc. are toy functionalities even dumb client devices can do.

There's no debate since even the education system have shunned iPads as limited toys and adopted Chromebooks which are closer to PC capabilities and more suitable for 6th graders exposed to coding, robotics, electronic projects, etc. to prepare for the real world.

Also, Linux and Windows power the world, internet, companies, data centers, core infrastructure, network devices, servers, telephony systems, clients, etc.

iPad was a decent compromise some 8 years ago when portable PCs were expensive and bulky. Fast forward to 2018, the iPad is the most limited and worst value device.

Windows/Linux/MacOS > ChromeOS > Android > iOS

 

[FFR]

The iPad is not a toy. I use it everyday to get real work done. When I see statements like that I wonder if the person hasn't tried an iPad or just doesn't know how to use it. Since iPads are being used more and more in surgical suites, glad you'll be unconscious and won't see the "toy" being used to determine blood loss during an operation.

This device looks interesting, but I haven't used a Windows machine in five years.

Not sure what kind of "real world" experience you need that requires a dual booting Windows and Linux machine. The high level skills like writing, analysis, project management, and working collaboratively with others are the real world skills we're looking for. Honestly, you can do that on just about any system today. If staff or faculty need an iPad, MacBook, or Dell desktop just let us know what makes you productive and which operating system you personally prefer.

I guess at of the end Of the day it’s how you use a device that determines its function.
Great post.

 

[FFR]

Just because someone rides a tricycle to work doesn't make it equivalent to a car. It's still a toy and a tiny subset of a car just like a toy iPad is a tiny subset of even a basic Surface Go. iOS devices used as electronic document viewer, electronic patient record lookup, kiosks, etc. are toy functionalities even dumb client devices can do.

There's no debate since even the education system have shunned iPads as limited toys and adopted Chromebooks which are closer to PC capabilities and more suitable for 6th graders exposed to coding, robotics, electronic projects, etc. to prepare for the real world.

Also, Linux and Windows power the world, internet, companies, data centers, core infrastructure, network devices, servers, telephony systems, clients, etc.

iPad was a decent compromise some 8 years ago when portable PCs were expensive and bulky. Fast forward to 2018, the iPad is the most limited and worst value device.

Windows/Linux/MacOS > ChromeOS > Android > iOS

Are you seriously comparing preforming surgery to riding a tricycle?
That’s pretty weird and a bit condescending to surgeons.

 

[t.portis]

Just because someone rides a tricycle to work doesn't make it equivalent to a car. It's still a toy and a tiny subset of a car just like a toy iPad is a tiny subset of even a basic Surface Go. iOS devices used as electronic document viewer, electronic patient record lookup, kiosks, etc. are toy functionalities even dumb client devices can do.

There's no debate since even the education system have shunned iPads as limited toys and adopted Chromebooks which are closer to PC capabilities and more suitable for 6th graders exposed to coding, robotics, electronic projects, etc. to prepare for the real world.

Also, Linux and Windows power the world, internet, companies, data centers, core infrastructure, network devices, servers, telephony systems, clients, etc.

iPad was a decent compromise some 8 years ago when portable PCs were expensive and bulky. Fast forward to 2018, the iPad is the most limited and worst value device.

Windows/Linux/MacOS > ChromeOS > Android > iOS

iPads use AR and imaging technology to accurately measure blood loss during surgery. I use an iPad to create multimedia presentations for Ph.D. level professionals like myself, etc., etc.

If you read educational journals and research, as I do, you would know that costs and ease of managing users at scale drove Chromebook adoption. The 2018 iPad and the accompanying software tools were an attempt to address that.

People are free to say they don’t care for a certain form factor, and that’s fine. Looking to denigrate the choices of others to justify your own choices or the technology you are comfortable with is really just trolling.

 

[mi7chy]

Throwing out buzzwords and overstating qualifications won't convince anyone.

 

[Sackofnickels]

https://www.costco.com/Microsoft-Su...e---Surface-Type-Cover.product.100428070.html

128GB storage is a special Costco configuration.

Great solution for someone who can't do real work on the toy iPad and doesn't want to carry two devices, an iPad and a Macbook 12", to get the combined functionality while costing less than the entry level iPad 9.7. Plus, one Surface Go can be shared with the whole family with unique logins which the iPads can't do.

iPad bundle price comparisons but the keyboards aren't nearly as good...

iPad 9.7 2GB/128GB $429 with Brydge Bluetooth Keyboard $129.99
Total $558.99

iPad Pro 10.5 4GB/64GB $649 with Smart Keyboard $159
Total $808

Why would anyone buy a computer with 128gb? Between the OS, programs, and media, it would be filled up in a day....
[doublepost=1532576222][/doublepost]

While I'm very much a Mac guy, I'm stuck on Windows for work -- like most people. I gave the Surface Pro 3 a solid test run when it first came out. Unfortunately this was during the Windows 8 days... Didn't make that great of a tablet (nothing was finger-friendly) and didn't do that well as a laptop (hot and poor battery life).

Then the original 12.9" iPad Pro came out with the Pencil and keyboard, so I dumped the SP3. I've been on the same iPP since November of 2015. Still holding up very, very well despite some battery wear. However, I've got a new job and even more Windows dependence. While Parallels works reasonably well on my MBP, I'm looking again at a real Windows device. This new Surface may fit the bill. I'd have to take it off the Windows 10 S software and, presumably, sacrifice some speed and battery life, but if the battery is "good enough" and the speed hit doesn't suffer too much (I mostly use office-type apps plus a low-impact imaging application called Carestream), it may make a good iPad & laptop replacement.

I was waiting for the next version of the iPad Pro but now I'm really going to have to think seriously about this.

Dont base your decision on Windows 8. Windows has come a long way since then.

 

[Michael Goff]

Throwing out buzzwords and overstating qualifications won't convince anyone.

Buzzwords like "toy" and "real work" and "full OS"?

 

[xraydoc]

Dont base your decision on Windows 8. Windows has come a long way since then.

No, no. I totally understand how much of a mess Win 8 was. My work office PC is on Windows 10 and I've got Windows 10 on Parallels on my MBP, and the Surface Pro 3 has since been upgraded to Windows 10. I still fire it up on occasion, but the battery life on it sucks so much it doesn't get far from the power cable.

I feel like I'm in a constant state of existential computer OS crisis, lol.

 

[BeatCrazy]

Wh would anyone buy a computer with 128gb? Between the OS, programs, and media, it would be filled up in a day....

The Go (and all Surface devices?) come with a microSD slot.