{"id":10934,"date":"2018-07-10T10:07:24","date_gmt":"2018-07-10T10:07:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.itwriting.com\/blog\/?p=10934"},"modified":"2018-07-10T14:26:08","modified_gmt":"2018-07-10T14:26:08","slug":"surface-go-microsoft-has-another-go-at-a-budget-tablet","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.itwriting.com\/blog\/10934-surface-go-microsoft-has-another-go-at-a-budget-tablet.html","title":{"rendered":"Surface Go: Microsoft has another go at a budget tablet"},"content":{"rendered":"

Microsoft has announced<\/a> Surface Go, a cheaper, smaller model to sit at the budge end of its Surface range of tablets and laptops.<\/p>\n

The new model starts at $399, will be available for pre-order today in selected territories, and ships on August 2nd. <\/p>\n

In the UK, the Surface Go is \u00a3379 inc VAT for 4GB RAM and 64GB storage, or \u00a3509.99 inc VAT for 8GB RAM and 128GB storage.<\/p>\n

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I go back a long way with Surface, having been at the launch of the first device, Surface RT, back in 2012. The device was a flop, but I liked it. The design was genuinely innovative and sought to make sense of a Windows in transition from desktop-only to a viable touch\/tablet device. It failed primarily because of the poor range of available apps, lack of user acceptance for Windows 8, and somewhat underpowered hardware. There were also keyboard issues: the fabric-based Touch keyboard was difficult to use because it gave no tactile feedback, and the Type keyboard less elegant and still somewhat awkward.<\/p>\n

Surface Pro came next, and while it was more useful thanks to full Windows 8 and an Intel Core i5 CPU, it was disappointing, with battery life issues and a tendency to stay on in your bag, overheating and wasting battery. There were other niggling issues.<\/p>\n

The big disappointment of Surface for me is that even with full, Apple-like control over hardware and software, the devices have not been trouble-free.<\/p>\n

Another issue today is that Windows 10 is not designed for touch in the same way as Windows 8. Therefore you rarely see Windows tablets used as tablets; they are almost always used as laptops, even if they are 2-in-1 devices. The original kickstand design is therefore rather pointless. If I got another Surface it would be a Surface Laptop or Surface Book. <\/p>\n

Of course they are not all bad. It is premium hardware and some of the devices are delightful to use and perform well. They are expensive though, and I suggest careful comparison with what you can get for the same money from partners like HP, Lenovo and others.<\/p>\n

What about this one? Key specs:<\/p>\n