Surface Go Identity Crisis
Microsoft isn’t targeting its Surface Go at any particular customer from what I can tell. It’s not an iPad killer, it’s not going directly after Chromebooks, and it’s not really challenging $400 Windows laptops. While the Surface Laptop launched at an education event alongside Windows 10 S, the Surface Go appears to be targeted far more broadly across education, regular consumers, and even commercial usage. It’s clearly designed to be a cheaper and more portable Surface that lowers the barrier of entry for those put off by the price of a Surface Pro and its more capable specifications. It’s also aiming to be more than an iPad or a Chromebook.
Once again, instead of hitting a Home Run, Microsoft goes for a base single. A sub-par experience won’t bode well into converting or convincing future users to stay in the Windows platform but instead show them that it’s awful. I was hoping it would have been better.