Laptop news: Forget about the new Surface Laptop Go - these are the laptops you ought to consider

For all its style, Microsoft’s new budget laptop is lacking in oomph

(Image credit: Microsoft)

The Surface Laptop Go will probably wow customers initially, but when the dust settles, we'll all come to understand it's both unbalanced and overpriced.

Sure, some are going to be ecstatic to ascertain a tenth generation Intel Core i5-1035G1 processor powering a laptop with a touchscreen display. But look elsewhere and cracks start to seem.

First, there’s the quantity of system memory, which is significant to getting Windows and other memory-hungry applications to run smoothly. 4GB RAM is just not enough (even if it's LPDDR4x), especially because the integrated graphics will occupy up to 1 / 4 of that.

Ditto for the onboard storage; 64GB eMMC won’t cut it. Not only is it the slowest storage tier outside of hard disc drives, but the capacity is additionally criminally low.

Install Windows 10 and therefore the relevant updates and you will probably be watching 25GB already ring-fenced. Add within the incontrovertible fact that solid-state memory performance worsens as free storage shrinks and you have got a recipe for frustration.

Microsoft's other surprising choice is the inclusion of a screen with but two megapixels. The 12.4-inch PixelSense display features a resolution of 1536 x 1024 pixels, which equates to 1.57 million pixels altogether - a 3rd but full HD displays usually found on business laptops.

And perhaps a good bigger kick within the teeth for potential buyers - aside from the $550 tag - is that it doesn’t offer a fingerprint power button just like the remainder of the range.

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