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microsoft-surface-laptop-go-review:-style-on-a-budget

Microsoft Surface Laptop Go review: Style on a budget

(Pocket-lint) – The Microsoft Surface Laptop has, through all three of its release iterations, proven to be our favourite premium Windows laptop time and again – winning the Pocket-lint Awards in its category in both 2019 and 2020.

So when Microsoft decided to bring out a more affordable version, called the Surface Laptop Go, it did make us wonder what would have to give to cut the price without cutting into a premier experience. So here’s how it all stacks up.

Design & Display

  • 12.4-inch PixelSense display, 3:2 aspect ratio, 1536 x 1024 resolution
  • Dimensions: 278 x 206 x 15.7mm / Weight: 1.1kgs
  • 1x USB-A, 1x USB-C, 1x 3.5mm headphone jack
  • Proprietary Surface Connect port for power
  • Finishes: Platinum, Sandstone, Ice Blue
  • Windows 10 S

Upon pulling the Surface Laptop Go from its box it looks a far cry from its budget status, aping many of the premium design traits that you’ll find in the Surface Laptop proper. The use of cool-to-touch metal on the lid and frame being standout, while the finish options – there’s three, this one in the photos is Ice Blue – look great.

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The Go is small and lightweight, yet it’s got a fairly large screen on account of the 3:2 aspect ratio – making the 12.4-inch panel more like an A4 sheet of paper than the more elongated screens that are so typical in laptops.

The screen is plenty bright, too, while its resolution – at 1536 by 1024 – is pretty sharp considering it’s less than Full HD in overall pixel count. That’s not a big problem, it just means you’ll find sharper panels elsewhere in the market. It’s befitting of its budget status, really, which is the whole point of the Go model.

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Ports aren’t especially plentiful: there’s a USB-C and a full-size USB-A port, but other than the 3.5mm headphones jack that’s your lot. Thankfully power is handled by Microsoft’s Surface Connect rather than using up the USB-C port, although we would prefer this proprietary format to be dropped in favour of more ports in the design.

When plugged in we found the Go’s first issue though: it’s noisy. The fan kicks in due to the device heating up when recharging, which is delivered in an irksome whistling fashion. It doesn’t even need to be under load for this to happen, you could have no applications open whatsoever and it’ll whistle away.

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Another major point to mention is the use of Windows 10 S. This version of Windows utilises the Microsoft Store to obtain and download apps – so you’re shielded from EXE file-types and can’t download and install such a variety of apps.

However, to switch out from S to ‘normal’ Windows 10 is easy enough: you can do it for free and we suspect most will do this straight away. We certainly did. That then means the Go has no limitations in what you can obtain and run on it, whether that’s a different browser such as Chrome, or a full-fat app such as Photoshop (albeit running at Intel Core i5 levels).

Keyboard & Trackpad

  • Fingerprint reader power button*
  • Full-size keyboard, no backlight
  • Large precision trackpad

Although the Go’s keyboard looks fairly squashed into its space, it’s actually a full-size one – and that makes for a decent typing experience.

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Well, it does when it’s light. Unfortunately the Go’s keyboard lacks a backlight, with only the Caps Lock key having a corner LED for any kind of illumination. It’s pretty rare that a keyboard isn’t backlit these days. But that’s another area where cost-cutting has happened, ultimately, to help keep the Go a little more budget.

The trackpad is a reasonably large scale, too, with a smooth topped finish that’s responsive to touch. It is plastic rather than glass, which gives it a slightly more ‘tacky’ feel to the fingers, but it works well enough. Some competitors are releasing laptops with even larger over-size trackpads, but there’s not much unused space in the Surface Laptop Go’s real-estate anyway, so we think it’s a sound solution as is.

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Also of note is the fingerprint scanner embedded in the power button, which makes for super-quick Windows 10 sign-in. *Caveat time though: this feature is absent from the entry-level model, so if you’re looking to the Laptop Go for its appealing price point then note that not all models offer the same by feature set.

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Performance & Battery

  • 10th Gen Intel Core i5 processor (1035G1), Intel UHD Graphics
  • 64GB/128GB/256GB storage options, 4GB/8GB RAM options

As we detailed previously, the Surface Laptop Go ships with Windows 10 S, but you can switch this to Windows 10 instead without incurring a cost. It’s a good job, then, that there’s a proper processor under the hood, capable enough of handling tasks that may typically fall outside of the Windows 10 S remit. Want Photoshop? You got it.

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Whichever Surface Laptop Go you pick – and there are three levels – it’s the same processor, an Intel Core i5 (1035G1). It’s the storage and RAM that differ rather dramatically though: the entry-level model has 64GB and 4GB respectively, which is rather limited; the two other models up the RAM to 8GB; while the only other difference from mid- to top-level is 128GB versus 256GB storage.

If you opt for the top-end model, however, the price is significantly higher – by almost 40 per cent over the base model, and closing in on the four-figures mark. That’s rather a lot to pay for doubling the RAM and delivering a usable storage amount. The middle spec model is probably the best balanced of the lot, remaining at an attractive price point with just about enough storage on board.

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In terms of battery life the Surface Laptop Go quotes an up-to-13-hour life per charge, but that’s over-reaching compared to its real-world figure. We were able to stream a Full HD YouTube video (well, the source was Full HD, the screen downscales that given the resolution available) for just under seven hours before it was game-over time. That’s reasonable enough innings, on par with the Surface Laptop 3, and long enough to cater for a varied day of work/study/mucking about on the internet.

Verdict

The Microsoft Surface Laptop Go is a compelling affordable laptop. It pulls on much of the design and quality of Microsoft’s established Surface range, without cutting features to the bone.

There are some quirks – such as a noisy fan, a limited numbers of ports, and limited storage in the entry-level model – but given the balance of features and performance we think Microsoft has got a success on its hands here. The mid-priced model is the one to go for.

Also consider

Pocket-lint

Lenovo Yoga Slim 7

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It’s got more ports, better battery life, and is well designed – albeit not quite as refined as the Microsoft product. If the mid-spec Surface Laptop Go seems appealing then consider comparing it to this Yoga before making that final decision.

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  • Read our review

Writing by Mike Lowe.

heise-+-|-linux-drivers:-why-it-is-sometimes-so-tedious

heise + | Linux drivers: Why it is sometimes so tedious

drivers under Linux: Why it is sometimes so tedious Is it the device manufacturer? Is it up to the kernel developers? Is it because of the distributors? Article in c’t 3 / 2021 read The author earned ridicule and scorn from many colleagues when they heard about the current construction proposal “Allround PC” for adequate commissioning of the network adapter under Linux is necessary.

No wonder, because you may have to use another PC to get a new one Set up the kernel in order to then retrofit compilers and other build tools; then download a manufacturer driver and compile it, in order to then throw down the fresh kernel again to avoid other problems.

The question here should be: Who is to blame such situations?

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Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro hands-on

It’s sort of a tradition for Samsung to announce new TWS earphones alongside its latest Galaxy S-flagships and this year we get the Galaxy Buds Pro. We got to spend some time with a pair of Galaxy Buds Pro earlier today and we did some quick tests to get a feel of what Samsung’s latest premium earbuds bring to the table. These are our initial impressions, but we will be doing a detailed review when we’ve spent enough time with them.

Fit

As with all in-ear headphones, you’ll have to find the right tip size for your ears to ensure a snug fit. This is rather important since the passive noise cancellation depends on having a tight seal around your ear canal. Provided you’ve attached the right rubber tips, the Galaxy Buds Pro offer superb fit and stay in your ears at all times.

Each earbud weighs just 6.3 grams which is on par with the Galaxy Buds+ and a smidge more than the Buds Live (5.6 grams each) though you really won’t be able to tell the difference when you put them on. After a few hours of wear, you forget you even have them on. Our unit comes in the Phantom Black colorway which features a glossy (and reflective) outward shell while the rest of the construction is matte. The earbuds are IPX7 water-resistant and feature assuringly solid construction.

Sound

The Buds Pro pack a dual driver setup with 11mm woofers and 6.5mm tweeters in each earbud. Upon first inspection, sound quality is quite balanced with decent levels of bass and satisfying highs and lows. We’ll make sure to offer more details in the full review of course but so far we can say the Buds Pro sound seems to befit their name.

The active noise cancellation from the Buds Live (aka Beans) is back on the Buds Pro and this time around and it’s noticeably more potent. While in an office environment the Buds Pro managed to filter all the lows and mids perfectly though we’ll have to test them out in other environments for the full review. This is also when we’ll get the chance to compare them to the likes of Apple AirPods Pro.

The ANC has low and high levels which adjusts how much of the outside sound is blocked out – this seems a little excessive as we can’t envision a scenario where you’d want just a little of the outside noise blocked.

You can of course listen to the Buds Pro without noise cancellation or have them in Ambient Sound mode which amplifies external sounds. The Buds Pro also have the new Voice Detect feature, which works quite well, toggling from noise cancellation or normal mode to Ambient Sound almost instantly when it detects you’re talking. Once the conversation is over, the Buds Pro revert to their original state. The only issue is that if someone else starts talking you’ll still miss the first sentence toward you until you reply and the earphones detect that.

Pairing, other features

We tested out the Buds Pro with a Galaxy Z Fold2 and the pairing was as seamless as it gets. As soon as we opened the case the Buds Pro were recognized and instantly paired to the phone with a single click. Of course, this instantaneous connectivity won’t be available to non-Samsung devices. However, you can get the Galaxy Wearable app on any phone and take advantage of its customization options and controls including programing the touch-sensitive sides of the earphones, find my earbuds and gaming mode.


Galaxy Wearable customization options for Buds Pro

Gaming mode also reduces latency by a noticeable amount. We tested the feature on a game called Athletics Mania, which simulates track and field events. The 100m sprint game requires you to tap immediately after the starting pistol is fired and with the Buds Pro we managed good to very good starts while the exact same test with the Galaxy Buds+ rendered poor results on most tries. Not quite what was possible with a wired headset, but certainly a major step forward.

Upon first testing, the Galaxy Buds Pro are a step in the right direction for Samsung’s TWS lineup and offer tangible improvements over their predecessors. Make sure to tune back when the full review is published as we delve deeper into the Galaxy Buds Pro’s sound and features.

amd-radeon-rx-6800-xt-roundup:-asrock,-asus,-and-sapphire-reviewed

AMD Radeon RX 6800 XT Roundup: ASRock, Asus, and Sapphire Reviewed

(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)

AMD Radeon RX 6800 XT Roundup

AMD launched the Radeon RX 6800 XT and RX 6800 on November 23, 2020. The first of the new RDNA2 architecture graphics cards had plenty to offer, ranking near the top of our GPU benchmarks hierarchy and earning a place on our list of the best graphics cards. AMD does particularly well with games that don’t support ray tracing. In such cases, there are quite a few games where the 6800 XT leads the (theoretically) more expensive RTX 3080, though enabling ray tracing or DLSS quickly turns the tables. The biggest problem, as we’ve seen with all of the recent GPU launches, is actually finding one in stock. Now we’re looking at three third-party custom cards, from ASRock, Asus, and Sapphire, to see what they bring to the table.

The core features and RDNA2 architecture are all unchanged, so the main differences between the cards will be in clock speeds, cooler designs, and aesthetics. There are also a few third-party add-ons, in the way of software, that might sway your purchasing decision. But let’s be real: Finding any of these cards in stock can be an exercise in futility, and with the recent surge in cryptocurrency mining, it could be months before supply is anywhere close to matching demand. In other words, if you want an RX 6800 XT as soon as possible, the brand and model of card will be far less of a consideration than whatever you can actually lay your grubby little mitts on.

The good news is that performance across all of the tested RX 6800 XT cards is very close. At factory stock settings, the speediest of the cards we’ve tested is only 2-3 percent faster than the reference RX 6800 XT. Between the three custom cards, the performance deltas are even smaller, to the point of being effectively non-existent. But that doesn’t mean the cards are all equal, as the cooling designs and other elements come into play. Here’s a quick overview of the specs before we get into the individual card analysis and benchmark results. 

AMD Radeon RX 6800 XT Specifications
ASRock Taichi RX 6800 XT Asus ROG Strix LC RX 6800 XT Sapphire Nitro+ RX 6800 XT Reference RX 6800 XT
Architecture Navi 21 Navi 21 Navi 21 Navi 21
Process Technology TSMC N7 TSMC N7 TSMC N7 TSMC N7
Transistors (Billion) 10.3 10.3 10.3 10.3
Die size (mm^2) 251 251 251 251
SMs / CUs 72 72 72 72
GPU Cores 4608 4608 4608 4608
Ray Accelerators 72 72 72 72
Boost Clock (MHz) 2360 2360 2360 2250
VRAM Speed (Gbps) 16 16 16 16
VRAM (GB) 16 16 16 16
VRAM Bus Width 256 256 256 256
ROPs 128 128 128 128
TMUs 288 288 288 288
TFLOPS FP32 (Boost) 21.7 21.7 21.7 20.7
Bandwidth (GBps) 512 512 512 512
TDP (watts) 350? 350? 350 300
Pricing $829 $899 ($1,080) $769 ($999) $649

Let’s first address the elephant in the room: The pricing is either fantasy land or, in the case of actual ‘street’ pricing, egregious. Theoretically, the Sapphire Nitro+ initially launched at $769, but of course, it was sold out — just like every other GPU. Newegg currently lists it at $999, and it’s still out of stock. The Asus Strix LC is a similar story, with a launch price of $899 but a current Asus store price of $1,080, and it’s also sold out. ASRock gave a launch price of $829, but retail prices are much higher than that, and naturally, the reference AMD RX 6800 XT can’t be had for anything close to $649.

Beyond price, the only difference in specs is the TDP. Sapphire lists 350W, while Asus and ASRock don’t give any value. We put in 350W with a question mark based on our testing. All three AIB cards have the same 2360 MHz Boost Clock, which they can exceed in some cases. That’s where the cooling solutions come into play.

That’s it for the introduction. Let’s get to the individual cards, and we’ll dig into the finer points of each one, including any extra features that can help it stand out. We’re going to dispense with actual scores on these cards, mostly because they all feel like ghost launches. Yes, they technically went on sale, but both pricing and availability are so limited that we don’t know where they’ll really land. They’re all more or less equal, depending on your wants and needs.

MORE: Best Graphics Cards

MORE: Desktop GPU Performance Hierarchy Table

MORE: All Graphics Content

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