From the moment I started working on the Surface Laptop Go, I have fallen in love with it. The fact that it’s small and lightweight, and also has a full-size keyboard, and is powerful enough to get the work done makes the Surface Laptop Go winner for writers and journalists.

Although there are some quirks - such as a whistly fan, a low numbers of ports, and limited storage in the entry-level model - otherwise the balance of features and performance make for a compelling affordable laptop.

Great design that looks and feels beyond the asking price; Comfortable typing and trackpad experience; Proper processor means it's capable outside of Windows 10 S

Fan can be loud and whistly when power is plugged in; No keyboard backlighting; Limited RAM/storage on entry model; Middling battery life; Less-than-Full-HD screen

Microsoft has a really good lower-cost Windows 10 laptop in it, but unfortunately the Surface Laptop Go isn’t quite it. It has many of the right elements: a great keyboard, good trackpad, nice look and reasonable performance.

solid performance; good keyboard and trackpad; fingerprint scanner in mid-or-high model; USB-C; nice look; solid build; recycled plastic.

weak battery life; runs hot; no backlit keys; screen not that crisp and not 1080p HD; not that much cheaper than premium machines; software niggles.

With the Surface Laptop Go, Microsoft has tried to make an affordable laptop for the masses – or at least for students. While performance and battery life are underwhelming, the laptop is well built and designed, and will serve you well for day-to-day computing.

Well-built and lightweight; Impressive 12.4-inch; 3:2 aspect ratio display; Copes with most tasks comfortably

Average battery life; Average specs on the cheapest configuration; Average performance

The Surface Laptop Go is an enjoyable device to use, but sub-par battery life and a lack of competitive specs mean most people will find better value for money elsewhere.

Thin and light; Impressive keyboard; Solid performance on top-spec model

No backlit keys; Average battery life; Comparatively expensive

A well-built ultraportable that does the basics very well, but sublime design can't make up for hardware shortcomings when rivals offer more power for less cash

Light and well-built; Vibrant 3:2 aspect touchscreen; Full-size keyboard and expansive touchpad

Internals merely average for the money; No backlit keyboard; Battery life only average

The Surface Laptop Go is a fantastic device at a super-affordable price. It offers decent performance and comfortable keyboard that's ideal for students, office workers and social media addicts alike.

Incredible value; Small and classy design; Excellent performance; Comfortable keyboard

Low-resolution display; No keyboard backlight; No fingerprint scanner on base configuration

The Microsoft Surface Laptop Go provides portability and power

The Surface Laptop Go is a premium laptop at a lower price than you’d expect but it isn’t the best budget laptop you can buy

Beautiful design; Excellent display; Fingerprint reader and Windows Hello webcam

Cheapest model only has 64GB storage and 4GB of RAM

Every mid-priced laptop comes with tradeoffs. The Surface Laptop Go’s concessions are largely straightforward: you get an excellent design in exchange for a couple of useful features and some performance overhead. For many people, that’s fine.

Light; attractive; and high-quality design; Comfortable keyboard and trackpad; Minimal bloatware; Good value for money

The keyboard isn’t backlit; Mediocre battery life; Only 256GB of storage at maximum; Slightly less-than-1080p display; The cheapest configuration probably shouldn’t exist