Microsoft comes with smaller and cheaper Surface Go
Microsoft announced in a blog that they will release a new, smaller and cheaper version of their Surface tablet / computer. It is called the Surface Go and is a 10-inch ultra-light (500 gram) device that needs to have enough power to run full desktop applications. It looks exactly like a Surface Pro, but then a bit smaller.
What else is there? An 8 Megapixel camera behind and 5 Megapixel camera for, an infrared camera for face recognition, a MicroSD slot for extra storage, a headphone connection and one USB-C connection. You do not have to use it for charging, because the Go has a separate Surface Connect connection for this. This ensures communication with a possible dock. Interesting: there is also a ‘nearfield’ sensor that can be used to scan certain things wirelessly.
On the inside, the Go has to do with an Intel Gold processor (the 4415Y to be exact) with an Intel HD 615 GPU. There are no fans in the Go, which, according to Microsoft, is not only a quieter device, it also provides that very light 500 grams of weight. Memory can go up to 8 GB and storage can be up to 256 GB, but these are not the start options: they are 4/64 GB. With the SD card the storage can be expanded, so that is not a problem. The resolution of the screen is 1800×1200 pixels and as you would expect with a mobile device there is also room for a SIM card so you can use 4G everywhere.
In itself enough, but what does that mean for the useful life? Microsoft claims that a Surface Go can last up to nine hours on a full battery and that, due to a smart charging system, can be charged from 0 to 100 percent within two hours. Then you can also just use the 4G
Good keyboard
The keyboard has also been modified, not unimportant in the light of the problems with keyboards that the competitor has had. The keyboard of the Go is smaller than that of the Surface Pro, but Microsoft has made sure that the keys move at least one millimeter each time you press them. It is also still a mechanical and illuminated keyboard. That, in combination with the ‘Alcantara’ structure, according to Microsoft, it should be nice to type on the Surface Go. Support for a pen is also provided, so you can also use a Go as a writing device.
Microsoft assumes that the Go will be widely used in the field, so by students, in healthcare and by people who are outside and have to travel a lot. That is why the Surface Go has been rigorously tested in difficult conditions and collaborations have been started with accessories makers who go as far as the United States Military Standard in terms of indestructibility. Microsoft wants to go into battle with tablet makers and especially Apple with the Surface Go for the business and education market and if the Surface Pro devices are an indication of how good the Go is, that will be a tough fight.