On the exterior , the Asus Nova Go looks like a distinctive 2 - in-1 . It ’s got a pleasant but not super exciting 13.3 - column inch touchscreen , a spacious touchpad with a built - in fingermark proofreader , and a 360 - degree hinge that lets it transubstantiate from a laptop to a pill on a whim . But at heart , this $ 600 hybrid has the raging heart of … a smartphone ?
Asus Nova Go
What is it ?
Photo: Sam Rutherford (Gizmodo)
A Windows 10S laptop computer with a Qualcomm Snapdragon central processor .
Price
$ 600
That’s not a sticker we’re used to seeing on laptops.Photo: Sam Rutherford (Gizmodo)
Like
Over 15 60 minutes of battery life !
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Photo: Sam Rutherford (Gizmodo)
Boy is it deadening .
Yeah , that ’s right , and it ’s not even the mobile ’s world ’s latest cow chip , theSnapdragon 845 . rather , the Nova Go features a Snapdragon 835 from 2017 , which first debuted on theSamsung Galaxy S8 . But do n’t let the old age of the silicon fool you . By mix an ARM - base C.P.U. ( instead of your traditional Intel or AMD x86 chip ) with Windows 10 , the Asus Nova Go represents dissimilar path for the advancement of the good ‘ ole laptop computer .
That ’s because by taking a C.P.U. that ’s already build for power efficiency and arrange it in a laptop , Windows on Snapdragon systems are trying to redefine what great battery life really means . Longevity is n’t the only bonus either , since with its smartphone origins , all Windows Snapdragon PC also come with 4 G LTE connectivity , so you do n’t require to be the annoying person that badger hoi polloi for the Wi - Fi password everywhere you go . Now , how do these two factors in reality play out ?
The fingerprint reader isn’t really necessary, but it’s a nice bonus.Photo: Sam Rutherford (Gizmodo)
really , quite well ! But only if you understand the platforms limitations . As some of you are guess , with a processor that ’s essentially the same as what you get in a phone , performance on the resource intensive Windows OS is n’t spectacular .
In fact , when I ran our normal host of laptop benchmarks , the Nova Go turned in some of the lowest scores we ’ve seen in late story . InWebXPRT 2015 , which essay web crop performance , the Nova Go scored just 84 , which is the lowest score we ’ve seen in a laptop computer yet , and a far cry from the 267 we got from the$550 Samsung Chromebook Pro(with an Intel m3 CPU ) we reviewed last year .
That variety of gap sounds really chilling and create you question the intact distributor point of this undertaking in the first place . Until you realize that while these Snapdragon - power Windows PC can sort of handle your traditional Windows programs , the system is really plan to puzzle out best with native UWP ( Universal Windows Platform ) apps installed from the Microsoft Store .
Every laptop should have always-on internet.Photo: Sam Rutherford (Gizmodo)
So I ran WebXPRT again in Edge , and the Nova Go ’s score doubled from 84 to a 163 ; still shy of Intel Core m3 , but much more acceptable . And in real life , the difference in H.P. is even less of an issuance . Sure , you ’ll run into the casual hitch or a bit of stimulant lag , but those are the form of thing that you see on a lot of budget and mid - range system . It ’s frustrating , but not deal break .
And those budget and mid - range systems based on Intel atomic number 14 do n’t have the anticipate bombardment liveliness of a Qualcomm Snapdragon gimmick . In our traditional barrage summation test , where we rain buckets a YouTube video over Wi - Fi until the calculator snuff it , the Nova Go lasted just 13 hours and 49 minute . I just say because that time only put the Nova Go electric battery life 15 minutes in front of the 13:24 posted by a non - touch XPS 13 with an eighth - gen Core i7 CPU . But when I did the same test in Edge , battery life shoot up another 60 minutes and a half to 15:16 , which is the best barrage fire life we ’ve seen on any laptop in the last two years . It ’s not quite the 20 + hours Qualcomm isteasing elsewhere , but still pretty big .
But those are just trial design to drain the battery speedily . Oftentimes , in material living , the Nova Go ’s longevity is even better . Over the course of instruction of a weekend drop test the system , I was surprised at how many time after 45 moment browsing Roger Huntington Sessions drop trying to find non - sold out Avengers tickets , looking at stunned meme or whatever other inane shit masses apply computing machine for when they are n’t working , the battery share dropped just one or two percent . This affair truly sips succus .
Photo: Sam Rutherford (Gizmodo)
And then there ’s the Nova Go ’s built - in 4 G LTE modem . If you want net , it ’s always available . Just pop - in a SIM from your aircraft carrier of choice , add the correct admittance full stop ( APN ) information into Windows and off you go . No longer do you finger like a Wi - Fi addict , hunting for your fix when you ’re away from home . You just open up the computer and with the Nova Go ’s near crying backwash times and dogged screen background connection , you ’re always ready to graze . This is kind of the always - connected dreaming masses keep associating with thecoming of 5 G , and it ’s a treat . Though it ’s also true that this is n’t even close to the first laptop with 4 G LTE , Microsoft even just release a Surface with 4 G connectivity earlier this year .
In a way , the Asus Nova Go is almost an idealistic laptop for student . Its fantastic battery life sentence turn forget to reload the system at night from a catastrophe into an subject you might not even notice . And its built - in modem mean the internet is always useable and its C.P.U. is more than enough to do by WWW browsing or working in Google Docs or Office 365 . Even theabomination that is Windows 10S — which make out pre - install by nonremittal — isn’t that big of hand , since you may upgrade to normal Windows 10 whenever you need , for free .
Windows on Snapdragon french fries might not be a full on PC gyration , but it ’s prissy have more pick when it derive to unlike chips strengths and weaknesses . And found on how much try Qualcomm has invested take in Windows work on ARM , this is only the commencement .
README
Battery animation is ghastly — the best we ’ve seen on any laptop in the last two years .
Performance is n’t great , but it ’s enough for workaday poppycock , and perceptibly better when using UWP Apps .
Unlike Windows RT systems of old , Windows on Snapdragon is compatible with almost every Windows program .
Now I kind of want every laptop computer to have always - on internet .
The Nova Go could be a great buy for students , though it slight price bead would be nice .
2 - in-1sConsumer TechLaptopsReviewsWindows 10
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