Galaxy Book 12" (CERTIFIED REFURBISHED) or Surface Go 4GB

I can't decide between these two: Galaxy Book 12" (CERTIFIED REFURBISHED) or Surface Go JST 4GB

I need to buy it from Amazon or any other established e-commerce company.

I have never bought refurbished products, but the galaxy book 12" in the following link seems to be far superior, but I'm insecure! And then there is the surface go 4gb.

• https://www.amazon.com/Samsung-Wind...81879&sr=1-4&keywords=Samsung+Galaxy+Book+12"

• https://www.amazon.com/Microsoft-Su...qid=1534344152&sr=1-3&keywords=surface+go+4gb

I'm kind of in a hurry because I need to buy it in the following 5 days max (family member is going to bring from US to Brazil).

General Questions.

1. What is your budget?
500$

2. Would you consider purchasing used/refurbished?
Maybe? That's the point!

3. Do you prefer a media/mobile tablet like the iPad, Windows tablet PC, or notebook convertible?
It has to be Windows.

4. What size Tablet PC would you prefer?
From 10" to 12.5".

5. Which country do you intent to purchase from [where do you live]?
I'm going to buy from amazon (I live in Brazil), a family member in the US will bring it to me in the next 3 weeks.

6. Do you have any preferences to brand loyalty or dislikes?
No, as long as the reputation of the product is good.

7. How many hours battery life do you require?
Anything above 3000mAh (not a concern).

8. What will be the primary usage scenario of this tablet? (Email/Web Surfing/Drawing/Word Processing/Entertainment/Notetaking etc)
Stylus notetaking, reading pdf, light web browsing.

9. Do you have an OS preference? For example, do you own an iPhone and a Mac, or are you a Windows fan? Do you own an Android device and use Google services frequently?
Windows.

10. What software and tasks do you intend to run? (Microsoft Office or other Word Processing Suite/Photoshop/3D Studio Max/Autocad etc)
OneNote, Office, Matlab.

11. Do you intend on playing Games? If so please list.
No.

12. Would you like to stream content through your home theater system?
No.

Screen Specifics

1. Any preference on screen resolution?
From 11" to 12" seems ideal.

2. Will you be using the tablet outdoors? Do you need to be able to see it through glare from the sun?
See the above linked FAQ for guidance
No.

3. Do you require a pen? With or without pressure sensitivity? Do you prefer Wacom EMR, AES or N-trig?
See the above linked FAQ for guidance
Pen required. Not concerned with pressure sensitivity but is better to have it I guess. No technology preference, but I don't know much about this stuff (help me!).

Component Specifics

1. What size Hard Drive and Memory do you require? Would you like expandable memory?
3GB should be okay. Don't need expandable memory.

2. What sort of inputs do you require, if any? Would you like full-sized USB and SD card slots? Are microUSB and microSD ok? Do you require HDMI inputs?
No requirement in this regard.

Misc
1. Other non specific items ~ please add other items you require not covered above?
I'm looking for a tablet for heavy notetaking, hoping to replace paper and pen, a comfortable pen and a thin tablet should be the ideal for me.

2. Additional requests ~ anything other you wish to take into consideration?
No other requests.

 

I've been looking at that refurb Galaxy Book myself. It's a great deal. I would prefer the smaller tablet though, and I want more RAM so I haven't gotten one for myself. If you're okay with just 4GB of RAM, it's the better deal. I would recommend ordering from Amazon and having your relative open it and check it out first because that seller will take returns. The seller, BREED, also has the same device listed on ebay for a bit less because no Prime shipping. You'll need to buy a pen separately as that listing is the tablet only. There are several good options. I'm partial to the Staedler Noris Digital myself, but if you want buttons, you'll need something else.

If you want the smaller device and something brand new, the Go is a solid choice, but you should order direct from the Microsoft store online. Resellers on Amazon are charging more with slower shipping and less good return options.

If you trust your relatives to check out the refurb before bringing it to you, I would think the Galaxy Book is the better option.

Sent from my SM-P550 using Tapatalk

 

A galaxy book with no keyboard and no pen? No, thanks.

 

The go comes with no keyboard and no pen for only $50 less depending on pricing on the refurbished galaxy book. I've seen that go as low as $439, and that may come without tax. So the pricing is comparable between them.

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I'm affraid to buy the refurbished and the device go dead, and then I lost my money...

 

Yeah, but you can buy a Keyboard cover for the Go. Galaxy Book the Keyboard cover is a part of the machine not sold separately unless you find someone who sells it on eBay.

 

You can buy the galaxy book keyboard cover on amazon for about $80 last I checked. Or buy a fold back style cover that holds it up and use whatever bt keyboard you want. Or just use it as a slate. One of the reasons I've been tempted by this deal is the flexibility. Everyone complains about the origami stand and this is a way to get the computer and use whatever keyboard/cover/stand combo you want.

Now I've almost talked myself into it again. But I really need more than 4GB ram.

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