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Microsoft's Two Goals For The Surface Go

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Following the launch of the Surface Go, there’s been a lot of chat about Microsoft’s ultimate aim. The cheapest entry in the Surface family’s line up of hardware, the general purpose tablet (and it is a tablet) is being seen as something of a trailblazer.

(Microsoft Press)

The Surface Go is doing a nice job of promoting itself as a fun lifestyle tablet. To me, this feels like a secondary role, but one that is getting most of the attention. Take Jason Ward’s analysis of the Surface Go, which lays out the arguments that Microsoft has decided to promote the fun of the Go:

"Go," is a term that communicates a fun, not-all-business device. "Surface" conveys the familiar quality PC category capable of getting down to business when needed. "Surface Go" communicates a powerful ultra-portable device that goes everywhere with a user for everything he does. The name is also catchy and easy to say and remember. Combined with Microsoft's marketing for leisure activities, like watching movies, listening to music, taking pictures and web-surfing, it potentially has the feel-good and productivity ingredients to generate the mass consumer appeal that makes products cool.

Of course, all of this focus on the Surface Go’s viability in the consumer tablet market is interesting. It’s a nice little distraction from one of the areas where the Surface Go is perfectly suited for. By all means, watch the Surface team at Redmond court public opinion with the Go, anyone who can read the spec sheets and realize where the captive markets are, will realize that the Surface Go is aiming to be the go-to industrial tablet:

Naturally it has robust protection against the environment so it can be taken out of the office and into the field. Thankfully that Intel chip means fanless cooling is possible, and no pesky air intakes in the design either. There’s also ruggedized protective cases on offer that are rated up to MIL standard specifications.

Throw in the conspicuous mentions of NFC support for using RFID to help maintain inventory, forward facing cameras for video conferencing and ‘Windows Hello’ biometric security, and a nine-hour battery life that will get a worker through a regular shift before the device needs recharging, and you have the other half of the equation that starts with the high-specced and pricey Surface Books and Surface Pros. Now you have a Surface that can happily fill the factory floor.

Alongside the Galaxy Tab S4 and the iPad Pro, the Surface Go is the third member of ‘the rule of three’ that suggests tablets are ready for a resurgence of popularity. Henry Casey for Laptop Mag:

The small points of optimism for tablets (on their own) come from a market you might not think of that often. Carolina Milanesi, a consumer tech analyst at Creative Strategies, told me, "Enterprise, not consumer, is really the market Samsung is after." Specifically, "Samsung is very active in the enterprise space, where these kind of devices are being used for point of sale, in manufacturing, hospitality and health," she said.

(Microsoft Press)

Industry has the tablet it needs. If the public wants it as well, so much the better. If it changes the discussion over the tablet form factor and makes them sexy again, so much the better. But rest assured the Go will have a life, even if it never matches the sales figures of the iPad family on the High Street.

Now read more about the Surface Go’s life as a tablet…

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