
But there's something to be said for simple devices that deliver everything you need without a bunch of costly extras. If you're going for 60% style, 40% specs, and can swing $700, I'd say that specific version is the one to consider and makes for a great budget-ish laptop with sharp style.The word basic gets a bad rap. Yes, you can get more CPU power and more storage for that price, but not, as a general rule, something this nice and sleek and light and portable. Same screen, same processor as the other configurations. That leaves us with the $700 model, which has 8GB of RAM and a passable 128GB SSD. Charging $200 for a 128GB storage upgrade is a tough sell if you ask me.

The only difference from the middle model is a 256GB instead of 128GB. The $900 version is too close to truly mainstream-priced laptops, and especially at holiday time, I've seen some great deals in the $900-$1,000 range (last year, the regular Surface Laptop had some excellent deals). I'm surmising that, because I haven't actually tested the $550 version. Also, running Windows 10 with 4GB of RAM can make a $500 laptop feel like a $400 laptop. Just 64GB, soldered onto the motherboard, and even less after accounting for the OS. So, should you buy one? I like the Surface Laptop Go, but it's not for everyone. ("It's polycarbonate resin with glass fibers!" I can imagine a PR person frantically typing right now.)

It really does feel like a little brother to the Surface Laptop, which again, I like a lot. The edge-to-edge glass on the screen, narrow bezels and aluminum upper body all look and feel great. It looks like a much more expensive laptop. But my left CTRL button felt stiff, as if something inside the machine was blocking one corner. I like the look and feel of integrated power button fingerprint readers, so it's a shame you don't get that in the lowest-end model.

The key caps have a fingerprint-resistant soft matte finish and there's a full function key row. No trying to squeeze keys into an ever flatter surface, as Apple did for several years.

This is definitely one of the better small-laptop keyboards I've used recently. The vertically taller screen fits more rows when scrolling through endless email or working on office documents (shudder). There may be fewer pixels here than a standard 1,920x1,080 16:9 screen (technically, this is 1,536x1,024), but it looks and feels upscale. The 3:2 aspect ratio screen makes it feel roomy.
