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The Surface Laptop Go Is a Perfect (and Affordable) Smol Computer for Developers
Just don’t get the base model
Microsoft’s latest device, the Surface Laptop Go, is a modern netbook done right.
As soon as you put your eyes on a Surface Laptop Go, you’ll get Chromebook vibes. It’s ultra-light at 1.1kg, tiny enough to throw in a bag at 15mm thick, and it sports a 12.4” touch screen. The materials also give off Chromebook energy, with recycled plastic at the base of the laptop and a metal coating on the top half, making it feel as premium as the rest of the Surface family — including the Surface Go, a predecessor to this device — but starting at a relatively low $599.
Despite being affordable, the hardware is surprisingly lovely. The keys have just the right amount of travel, and are much nicer to type on than the tablet keyboard found on the Surface Go. The trackpad is one of the best I’ve seen on a Windows PC, second only to the Surface Book’s. It has both USB-C and traditional USB ports, as well as a headphone jack and the company’s magnetic charging port.
My favorite part about the Surface Laptop Go, however, is subtle and might seem a little odd: The display has rounded corners, like we’ve seen on the iPad and smartphones in recent years. While I didn’t notice it at first, I found myself wishing every other computer had rounded corners — it’s hard to go back after you’ve experienced it (just like when Twitter switched to rounded avatars rather than squares).
The Surface Laptop Go reminds me of a time when I was excited about netbooks, the makers of which promised small, light laptops with all-day battery life. If you suffered through actually using a netbook, though, you know the reality was very different: The category was dogged by performance problems, cheap chips, and lackluster hardware, which killed anyone’s interest in buying them.
