So I got a Windows ARM laptop... And it is great!
After having my Microsoft Surface stolen last year, and suffering the quite literal load of carrying my old laptop, I decided on getting something more convenient for watching Netflix or similar on the go without breaking my back.
The requirements for this replacement were, in order of importance, the following:
- Cheap
- Decent battery life
- Lightweight
The laptop fitting this requirement was a Samsung Galaxy Book Go (LTE)
which I could find for ~200€ on eBay from a seller in Germany so it would come
with the minor annoyance of having a QWERTZ keyboard.
Specs
This laptop is nothing special specs wise, it has a modest 4GB RAM, a last-gen ARM core but for what I want, testing what an ARM laptop feels like in daily use this machine should do the job.
| Part | Spec |
|---|---|
| CPU | Qualcomm Snapdragon 7c (Kryo™ 468 Octa-core CPU, 2.55 GHz) |
| GPU | Qualcomm Adreno |
| RAM | 4 GB LPDDR4x Memory |
| Display | 14.0” FHD LED Display, Anti-Glare |
| Storage | 128 GB eUFS |
| Network | 802.11ac (2x2) WiFi |
| Bluetooth 5.1 | |
| LTE modem | |
| Ports | 2 USB-C |
| 1 USB-A | |
| Audio jack | |
| Battery | 42.3 Wh |
| Charger | 25W charger |
First impressions
Note: These during the first 5 days of using the laptop
First run
After setting up the OS to be in a language I understand and a familiar keyboard layout, the experience feels just like any other windows, with the only caveat out of the box being that some programs feel slow at load but, once started they do feel responsive. Using Microsoft Edge as the browser keeps the memory usage low, which for the puny 4GB of RAM on board its a plus.
Look & feel
The machine itself feels all around OK, with the exception of the keyboard that feels incredibly cheap, and the right mouse button being placed way too much towards the middle of the touch pad. Apparently it uses a single tactile switch, placed way on the left hand side, as the only physical button. Better get used to do the 2 finger tap for all your right clicking needs.
Battery & Power
In my opinion the selling point for these kind of machines. I went for 3 days of on and off usage without once having to charge the laptop or turn it off for carrying it from one place to another. The power consumption is so low it doesn’t need fans which, in turn, allows me to just close the lid, put it in my backpack, and leave. No risk of the machine overheating.
First issues
I noticed a minor annoyance while running .net applications like KeePass, where they would take their time to load, sometimes up to 10 times slower than on my least powerful PC! I am unsure why this is or if it is a .net issue or an app specific issue.
Native app support for ARM
Many, many of the applications I use have a native ARM version of them and, when not available, the x64 version of it will perform well enough. There are some oddities like VLC, where the native ARM version is available but completely broken, so you would be better off installing the x64 version instead.
Verdict
For an on the go browsing and media machine, this laptop does the job better than any other PC based Windows laptop. It will not be a hi performance productivity laptop but that wasn’t its purpose anyway.
TL;DR: I’m surprised this 200€ thing has been so functional.