Microsoft's new Surface Go is still not an iPad killer
Microsoft is at it again with yet another Surface hardware release. But, as with the rest of the Surface line, it doesn't look like the Surface Go will make much of an impact in the markets it seems to be aiming for.
Wi-Fi only models will be available at launch, with cellular-equipped versions shipping later this year.
Like other Surface hardware, Surface Go boasts compatibility with Surface Pen, Microsoft's custom designed stylus that affords 4,096 levels of pressure sensitivity, low latency and high precision input. Other supported accessories include a down-sized Type Cover with trackpad to match the new model's dimensions, as well as the Surface Mobile Mouse.
The Surface Go ships with Windows 10 in "S" mode. It can be shifted to Windows 10 Home for free, and Windows 10 Pro is available as a $50 upgrade.
Surface Go will go up for pre-order on Tuesday, July 10, in Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, the UK, and the U.S. ahead of store availability on Aug. 2.
Microsoft plans to extend sales to China, Hong Kong, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand in the coming weeks, with more regions to follow.
This is Microsoft's third crack at less expensive Surface hardware. The first Windows RT effort failed, and the Surface 3 Intel Atom-powered device didn't fare that well either.
A second model is also available for preorder now, with 128GB of SSD storage eliminating the speed hit from the eMMC, and 8GB of RAM. The higher-end model retails for $549.
Microsoft itself recommends at least 8GB for Windows 10. And, like the iPad, a keyboard is optional, and extra. That starts at $99 for the Microsoft solution.
As far as the rest of the lineup goes, the Surface Laptop is $999. The Surface Pro tablet starts at $799 without a keyboard. Both are notably faster than the Pentium Gold 4415Y in the Surface Go.
It appears that the Surface Go exists more to up-sell potential buyers to the Surface Laptop or Surface Pro, than as a viable product to seize marketshare in its own right.
Those first principles are why tablets like the Surface Go and others of its ilk can exist in the first place, running the same software. But, Windows 10 is in no way a touch-centric operating system -- to its detriment on tablets.
Like we've said before, Apple likes to maintain the "whole stack," and remains a software company, more than a hardware one. If you're reading AppleInsider, you probably agree with us that macOS and iOS are the right tools for the jobs that they fulfill, rather than shoe-horning one operating system across myriad needs.
Regarding the hardware, our best guess why Microsoft rolled out the Surface Go is to try and capture the school marketshare from Chromebooks, hoping that the Windows mind-share will carry the day. But, at this price point without a keyboard, it won't do that for the same reasons that the iPad is struggling mightily in that sector.
From a Windows-centric consumer and enterprise standpoint, there are better Windows tablets and full laptops to be had from other manufacturers. Dell, Acer, and Asus have many choices with better performance than the low-end Surface Go, as do many others, for less money.
Compared to other Windows hardware vendors, it even fails as a laptop replacement. How it will stack up against Apple's new advertising focus positioning the iPad as a laptop replacement remains to be seen. But, given the Surface line's lackluster performance in a shrinking PC market, right now it doesn't seem like it will make a dent at all.
This time around, Apple is in a better position, with a cheaper and faster solution to the tablet problem with the sixth generation iPad released in the spring. Certainly, Apple now sits in an different position in this battle with Microsoft versus the rest of the other ones over nearly 40 years of skirmishes.
The hardware
Billed as the "smallest, lightest, and most affordable" Surface to date, Microsoft's new Surface Go uses the seventh-generation Kaby Lake process Pentium Gold 4415Y, into a chassis with a 10-inch 1,800-by-1,200 pixel PixelSense Display, front and rear cameras, Surface Connect magnetic charging and docking port, USB-C port, a MicroSD card reader, headphone jack and Surface's trademark friction hinged kickstand.Wi-Fi only models will be available at launch, with cellular-equipped versions shipping later this year.
Like other Surface hardware, Surface Go boasts compatibility with Surface Pen, Microsoft's custom designed stylus that affords 4,096 levels of pressure sensitivity, low latency and high precision input. Other supported accessories include a down-sized Type Cover with trackpad to match the new model's dimensions, as well as the Surface Mobile Mouse.
The Surface Go ships with Windows 10 in "S" mode. It can be shifted to Windows 10 Home for free, and Windows 10 Pro is available as a $50 upgrade.
Surface Go will go up for pre-order on Tuesday, July 10, in Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, the UK, and the U.S. ahead of store availability on Aug. 2.
Microsoft plans to extend sales to China, Hong Kong, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand in the coming weeks, with more regions to follow.
This is Microsoft's third crack at less expensive Surface hardware. The first Windows RT effort failed, and the Surface 3 Intel Atom-powered device didn't fare that well either.
Issues at the low end
The biggest problem for the performance oriented user with the $399 model will be 4GB of RAM that the device has. Couple this with the very slow eMMC that the cheapest model uses for storage, and the device is pretty hampered from the get-go.A second model is also available for preorder now, with 128GB of SSD storage eliminating the speed hit from the eMMC, and 8GB of RAM. The higher-end model retails for $549.
Microsoft itself recommends at least 8GB for Windows 10. And, like the iPad, a keyboard is optional, and extra. That starts at $99 for the Microsoft solution.
As far as the rest of the lineup goes, the Surface Laptop is $999. The Surface Pro tablet starts at $799 without a keyboard. Both are notably faster than the Pentium Gold 4415Y in the Surface Go.
It appears that the Surface Go exists more to up-sell potential buyers to the Surface Laptop or Surface Pro, than as a viable product to seize marketshare in its own right.
But... why?
Windows, by itself, is not a bad operating system. In many respects, it is an engineering miracle that it works at all, given first principles that require it to support disparate hardware combinations..Those first principles are why tablets like the Surface Go and others of its ilk can exist in the first place, running the same software. But, Windows 10 is in no way a touch-centric operating system -- to its detriment on tablets.
Like we've said before, Apple likes to maintain the "whole stack," and remains a software company, more than a hardware one. If you're reading AppleInsider, you probably agree with us that macOS and iOS are the right tools for the jobs that they fulfill, rather than shoe-horning one operating system across myriad needs.
Regarding the hardware, our best guess why Microsoft rolled out the Surface Go is to try and capture the school marketshare from Chromebooks, hoping that the Windows mind-share will carry the day. But, at this price point without a keyboard, it won't do that for the same reasons that the iPad is struggling mightily in that sector.
From a Windows-centric consumer and enterprise standpoint, there are better Windows tablets and full laptops to be had from other manufacturers. Dell, Acer, and Asus have many choices with better performance than the low-end Surface Go, as do many others, for less money.
Compared to other Windows hardware vendors, it even fails as a laptop replacement. How it will stack up against Apple's new advertising focus positioning the iPad as a laptop replacement remains to be seen. But, given the Surface line's lackluster performance in a shrinking PC market, right now it doesn't seem like it will make a dent at all.
This time around, Apple is in a better position, with a cheaper and faster solution to the tablet problem with the sixth generation iPad released in the spring. Certainly, Apple now sits in an different position in this battle with Microsoft versus the rest of the other ones over nearly 40 years of skirmishes.
Comments
There doesn’t seem to be anything different strategy wise from MS’ attempts with the older generation 10” Surface devices.
https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2018/06/more-details-leak-on-snapdragon-1000-qualcomms-chip-for-windows-10-laptops/
Makes sense to me. Pretty much the knife in the back to Intel that I expect to see from Apple as it transitions some of the Mac Product line to ARM.
That may be the most gracious thing about Windows I've ever read here.
I play on iOS and Windows, but can see where people can work on them too.
I really think comparing the iPad to a Surface PRO/GO is comparing apples and oranges. An iPad isn't a computer replacement for most people and a Surface isn't a convenient touch device meant for media consumption (mostly due to Windows 10 and apps aren't touch-friendly).
It works really well (with a more recent graphics card than it shippped with - GTX 460) and it’s a bit ironic since the by Apple last officially supported release of OS X/MacOS for that computer is Lion(!). It’s possible to get as far as El Capitan (minus the latest security update) by a small hack, but that’s it.
To order an iPad though has become increasingly difficult, and there a lot of little things to make it so. Like network access And user profiles that excessively cripple functionality (iCloud access and services are verboten, but not Dropbox or onedrive), and IT do not add MS office as standard. You have to pay the jizya from other than the IT budget.
Like al religious battles, if you are in the tent you do not have to pay seperately for Office, and this is the case on surface machines. You also have to fill in a form explaining why you need an ipad instead of Surface.
Theyre simply different use cases. A tablet needn’t pretend to be all things to all use cases.