Microsoft’s Surface Laptop Go 2 starts at $ 599.
Microsoft
Microsoft on Wednesday began pre-ordering for the Surface Laptop Go 2, the first revision of its incoming laptop. The computer starts at $ 599, a $ 50 increase over the original Surface Laptop Go that Microsoft released in 2020.
The tech giant is sticking to its incremental approach to upgrading products in its Surface line, which offered 5% revenue growth in the most recent fiscal year. This is slower than most of the company’s other major products. But Surface devices are more than a game-changer: they serve to show what is possible with Windows, and with the new device, Microsoft intends to show that a good quality Windows laptop can be affordable.
Microsoft has failed to make Surface a huge success in the nearly 10 years that the product line has been available. The company had a 0.6% share of desktops and laptops during the first quarter, according to industry researcher IDC. But many Surface computers are priced at more than $ 1,000, and with the Surface Laptop Go 2, Microsoft is targeting consumers and businesses with less money to spend, and offering a new alternative to cheaper Chromebooks with Chrome OS. Google.
The new laptop bears a strong resemblance to the original Surface Laptop Go. It still has a 12.4-inch screen, 4GB of RAM at the bottom, and a fingerprint scanner embedded in the power button.
There are some notable changes, though. The new one comes with Windows 11, which Microsoft released last year. The original model came with Windows 10 in S mode, which restricted people from running programs that did not appear in the Microsoft app store, although it is possible to exit the mode. Microsoft has offered customers a free upgrade to Windows 11 for those who purchase the first Surface Laptop Go.
The base model includes a 128GB solid state drive, instead of the latest 64GB. Microsoft says the battery of the new laptop will last 13 and a half hours, compared to 13 hours of its predecessor. And customers can replace more of the gadget’s components, such as the screen, trackpad, feet, keyboard cover, and top assembly, according to a Microsoft spokesman.
It also contains an 11th-generation Intel Core i5 chip, which is newer than the original model’s 10th-generation processor, though it gives up 12th-generation chips, which can be found on computers like HP and Dell.
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