Choosing the right laptop for students can be incredibly overwhelming: there are a lot of options, most of them are very cheap, and almost all run Windows. Microsoft has made the choice a little bit easier, however, by introducing the lightweight Surface Go 2 and then offering some big discounts.
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The Surface Go 2 follows the Surface Pro, Surface Laptop, and Surface Book as the pinnacle of what a Windows laptop can be, which is a big part of Microsoft's motivation for getting into the hardware business after years of just writing the software and tools.
- Read our Microsoft Surface Go 2 review
The main selling point of the Surface Go 2 is hinted at by the name: it's a very thin and lightweight laptop that's much more in-line with the size and dimensions of a larger tablet. The 10-inch touchscreen is small by laptop standards but makes the device incredibly portable and versatile. Perfect for when you're on the go.
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As you would expect with a tiny ultraportable laptop, the specs are good but nothing major: Intel Pentium (upgradeable to M3) is paired with 4GB RAM (expandable to 8GB on higher-end versions), and a 64GB SSD (expandable up to 128GB). For most student-y tasks, these are definitely more than enough.
Battery life is around five hours in our testing, which isn't the best but will also cover a few lectures and some studying in the library without too much problem.
We're big fans of what Microsoft is doing with Surface and the Go 2 is the epitome of a portable 2-in-1 device that covers just the right bases while keeping the price low. One important thing to remember is that Microsoft sells the Type Cover separately, so fact that cost (usually around $100/£125) into your thinking.
The best Microsoft Surface Go 2 deals (US)
The best Microsoft Surface Go 2 deals (UK)
Picking out the right student laptop can be a very difficult (and important) decision, especially as everything moves online during the pandemic. Microsoft's Surface Go 2 is a solid bet, offering a good combination of lightweight design and enough power to run Office apps, watch lectures, and surf the web.
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