A yr after Google launched its £629 Pixelbook Go laptop computer, Microsoft has responded with a cut-price, own-brand ‘Go’ pocket book beginning at simply £549. Till now, Microsoft has solely bought laptops with an RRP of at the least £999, so that is an attention-grabbing worth drop.
Costing simply over half what you’d shell out for Microsoft’s higher-end Surface Laptop 3, the Laptop Go may very well be a significantly tempting proposition for many who have felt priced out of Microsoft’s premium laptop computer vary. It’s accessible for pre-order with supply dates from 27 October.
However a lower cost level inevitably means compromise, be it in velocity, display high quality, storage, or one thing else. What issues is whether or not corporations make the suitable compromises in the suitable locations.
On the lookout for an amazing laptop computer on a strict funds? Discover out which gadgets strike the suitable steadiness between funds and efficiency in our choose of the best cheap laptops for less than £500
Floor Go vs Floor 3: spec sheets in contrast
The desk beneath reveals a side-by-side comparability of the brand new Laptop computer Go along with Microsoft’s premium Laptop computer Three as an instance the place specs have been lowered to convey down the value. Each in contrast fashions are the most affordable of their respective ranges.
| Floor Laptop computer Go | Floor Laptop computer 3 13.5 inch | |
| Worth (RRP) | £549 | £999 |
| Processor | Intel Core i5-1035G1 | Intel Core i5-1035G7 |
| Ram | 4GB | 8GB |
| Storage | 64GB eMMC | 128GB SSD |
| Graphics | Intel UHD | Intel Iris Plus 940 |
| Display screen | 12.4-inch, 1,536 x 1,024-pixel touchscreen | 13.5-inch, 2,256 x 1,504-pixel touchscreen |
| Weight | 1.11kg | 1.27kg |
| Supplies | Steel lid, plastic base | Steel lid, cloth and steel/metal-only base |
| Claimed battery life | 13.5 hours | 11.5 hours |
| Working system | Home windows 10 S Mode | Home windows 10 |
| Colors | Blue, platinum, sandstone | Black, cobalt Bblue, platinum, sandstone |
Microsoft Floor Laptop computer Go: the place have compromises been made?
The excellent news is that Microsoft doesn’t appear to have lower corners on the processor. The Go has one in every of Intel’s newer Core i5 processors, with 4 cores and loads of oomph to get by way of day by day duties reminiscent of net searching, watching movies and enhancing massive paperwork. It’s additionally the kind of processor you’d need for enhancing photographs.
The one place it’s missing is graphics; it makes do with a extra primary ‘Intel UHD’ graphics chip, in contrast with the extra highly effective ‘Intel Iris Plus’ discovered within the Floor Laptop computer 3.
Nonetheless, it has a few fairly painful Achilles heels.
- A low stage of Ram The 4GB accessible on the essential gadget is the naked minimal we’d suggest for a contemporary laptop computer working Home windows 10. In the event you plan on doing plenty of multi-tasking – opening plenty of net browser tabs or different packages directly – it’s best to go for 8GB to keep away from slowdowns.
- Primary storage The starter mannequin’s storage is small, and ‘eMMC’ storage – generally utilized in cheaper laptops – isn’t as quick because the superior solid-state drive (SSD) different. So packages will take a bit of longer to open and boot speeds may be slower.
Each of those issues will be solved in a single fell swoop by selecting the subsequent mannequin up within the vary, which has a bigger, sooner normal 128GB SSD and 8GB of Ram. The draw back is you’ll should spend an additional £150 to get these mod cons.
The Floor Laptop computer Go comes with Home windows 10 in ‘S Mode’. Because of this, upon first use, you’ll solely be capable to set up apps from the Home windows Retailer. It will restrict your selection of apps, however does imply that every one the software program accessible to you’ll have been vetted for privateness and safety forward of time.
Elsewhere, the display lacks the now-commonplace Full HD 1,920 x 1,080-pixel decision, which suggests it won’t be as pin sharp as different equally priced laptops, though the comparatively small display measurement ought to mitigate the affect of this.
The dinky display does imply the Go might be simpler to slip right into a small bag and it additionally helps hold it gentle, tipping the scales at 1.11kg. Its construct, which makes use of a combination of steel and plastics, can also assist cut back weight, however it might not really feel as nice to the contact because the all-metal and cloth Floor Laptop computer 3.
Head over to our first take a look at the Laptop Go’s specs for extra particulars, or should you’re searching for one thing extra excessive finish, discover out if the Surface Laptop 3’s extra premium specs impressed in our exams.
How may the Go fare in our exams?
This laptop computer is a transparent response to the Google Pixelbook Go and its specs are aggressive as compared (as we spotlight beneath). Nonetheless, there are many options, such because the Lenovo and Huawei featured above, that supply way more spectacular technical specs for the same worth.
That mentioned, Microsoft might need put extra effort into the display, audio system and construct high quality, and will provide higher battery life. These are issues we are able to solely know as soon as it’s been by way of our take a look at lab. Be careful for our full evaluate in November to seek out out if it’s price your cash or, should you want a brand new laptop computer urgently, check out the three options beneath.
Three options to the Floor Laptop computer Go
Huawei Matebook D 14, £549
It prices the identical because the Go, however comes with a bigger, higher-resolution display, twice the Ram and an enormous 512GB of storage. Of the three rivals right here, it has the processor that, on paper, ought to match the Floor Laptop computer Go most carefully for velocity.
Learn our full Huawei Matebook D 14 review to see if its display, velocity and battery life impressed our lab specialists.
Lenovo Ideapad Flex 5 14ARE05, £599
This laptop computer has a 360-degree hinge that allows you to flip it round and use it as a pill. It has a beefy, six-core AMD Ryzen 5 processor, and in addition throws in 512GB of storage and 8GB of Ram, which is lots for the value.
Do its greater specs imply improved efficiency? Learn our full Lenovo Ideapad Flex 5 14ARE05 review.
Google Pixelbook Go, £629
The Google Pixelbook Go is a Chromebook, and its specs are modest. Its processor is a extra timid dual-core affair than that of the Floor Go and it provides the identical 64GB of eMMC storage. Nonetheless, it does have 8GB of Ram – double that of the Microsoft Go.
Discover out if it delivered in our exams regardless of its low-end specs in our full Pixelbook Go review.
