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We just wasted $900 on the Surface Laptop Go so you wouldn't have to

We just wasted $900 on the Surface Laptop Go so you wouldn't have to
We just wasted $900 on the Surface Laptop Go so you wouldn't have to
Microsoft's latest laptop is both a great netbook and a terrible Ultrabook. If you're thinking about spending $900 on the Surface Laptop Go, then you may as well just consider the more capable 13.5-inch Surface Laptop 3 instead.

The Microsoft Surface Laptop Go is now available in multiple SKUs ranging from $550 up to $900 USD. Unlike most other laptops, however, all of these Laptop Go SKUs come with the same 10th gen Core i5-1035G1 CPU and 1536 x 1024 3:2 touchscreen meaning the main differences between them are RAM (4 GB to 8 GB LPDDR4x) and storage (64 GB soldered to 256 GB removable). Depending on which option you choose, however, the Surface Laptop Go can either be a great deal or a horrible one.

The least expensive $550 USD configuration comes with just 4 GB of soldered RAM and 64 GB of soldered eMMC storage. Though these specifications are ludicrously low for any modern Ultrabook, they're actually decent from the perspective of a netbook. Keep in mind that this SKU comes with the same processor, metal chassis, and great display as the $900 USD option which actually makes the entry-level Surface Laptop Go one of the best netbooks in the $500 range.

The story flips upside-down for the higher-end $900 SKU. Simply doubling the RAM and storage to 8 GB and 128 GB, respectively, bumps the price up from $550 to $700. Doubling the storage again to 256 GB bumps up the price to $900 while the CPU and RAM remain unchanged. Performance-per-dollar becomes laughable as it's obvious here that Microsoft is overcharging users just for the "luxury" of additional storage.

If you're going to spend nearly $1000 on a daily workhorse, then you may as well look into traditional 13-inch or 14-inch Ultrabooks as they are generally much more capable. The Dell XPS 13, HP Spectre 13, Asus ZenBook 13, Lenovo Yoga C740, or the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7 can all be found for around $1000 USD with more RAM, more storage, more power, and more features than the neutered $900 Surface Laptop Go.

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> Expert Reviews and News on Laptops, Smartphones and Tech Innovations > News > News Archive > Newsarchive 2020 10 > We just wasted $900 on the Surface Laptop Go so you wouldn't have to
Allen Ngo, 2020-10-26 (Update: 2020-10-24)