In case you missed the Microsoft Black Friday deals, and still want to purchase a Surface tablet, you are in luck. Microsoft is offering a $200 discount on the Surface Pro 6.

• Surface Pro 6 with 8 GB RAM, 256 GB storage space, Intel Core i5: $999 (instead of $1,199)
• Surface Pro 6 with 8 GB RAM, 256 GB storage space, Intel Core i7: $1,299 (instead of $1,499)
• Surface Pro 6 with 16 GB RAM, 512 GB storage space, Intel Core i7: $1,699 (instead of $1,899)
• Surface Pro 6 with 16 GB RAM, 1 TB storage space, Intel Core i7: $2,099 (instead of $2,299)

Get $50 off the Microsoft Surface Go

Microsoft Software

While the Apple iPad was originally released as a companion product, over the years it has become powerful enough to replace portable laptops as a full productivity device. With the inclusion of a keyboard and pencil accessory an iPad can be the perfect companion product for a student.

However, Microsoft's software and hardware solutions are still preferred among schools. According to consulting firm Futuresource, Microsoft hardware had 44% of the global education market in May. Microsoft brings enterprise-class collaboration, Teams for Education, device management, and Intune for Education with devices like Surface Go. This is complemented by an industry-leading cloud and enterprise-grade first-party software like Office 365 for Education.

Surface Go in education is backed by the weight of what makes Microsoft an enterprise success. And though Microsoft offers its apps across all platforms, the integration with Microsoft's services gives the user a much more fluid experience across all the apps and services.

Additionally, using Microsoft services in schools will prepare students entering the workforce, where Microsoft driven solutions are common. Having experience with using Microsoft's ecosystem will quickly familiarize users with what they can expect when they use Microsoft collaboration and device management tools like Teams and Office 365.

Microsoft Ink

While purchasing an Apple Pencil with your iPad gives you access to digital inking, Microsoft's Windows Ink is integrated with Windows and other software in a more broad way. Microsoft built Windows 10 from ground up to include support for inking input alongside the keyboard, mouse, voice and touch, and this is evident when you use the Surface Go.

You will be able to launch apps like OneNote or other Windows Ink Workspace apps using the Surface Pen. You can also use the pen to write on Office Documents, web pages on Microsoft Edge, emails in Microsoft Mail and more. The dimensions and ergonomics of the Surface Go make it a perfect alternate to the notepad.

By making Microsoft Ink available across all aspects of Windows, you will be able to naturally interact and create digital content through writing on your Surface Go.

More Versatile

The Surface Go is a fully fledged Windows device, despite its modest hardware and size. The device is capable of doing anything a full desktop computer can do, only limited by the power of its hardware. Tablets like the iPad are still limited to their app ecosystems and don't support additional hardware like a mouse.


More Options from OEMs

While the entry-level Surface Go is still slightly more costly than the basic iPad, it sets a blueprint for OEMs to build their own affordable iPad alternates. Other manufactures will soon have their own Windows tablets in the market to give users a wider range of options to choose from over the iPad.

Design



Specs

The Surface Go has a 10 inch PixelSense display, which is compatible with the Surface Pen (sold separately), allowing 4096 levels of pressure. The tablet is powered by a 7th generation Intel Pentium Gold processor with either 4GB or 8GB of RAM. You get 64GB of eMMC storage in the base model, but you can go as high as 256GB if you wish.

The tablet seems ideal for reading books, productively on Microsoft Office or consuming media, and boasts up to 9 hours of battery life. Charging up your tablet can be done through its USB Type-C 3.1 port.


Software

The Surface Go comes with Windows 10 Home pre-installed in S-Mode. This means that by default you can only run pre-installed apps like Microsoft Edge and anything you download through the Microsoft Store. While users can unlock the full functionality of Windows 10 Home for free, it is important to point out that the hardware is optimized for apps downloaded through Microsoft's ecosystem.

If you are planning to replace your regular computer with this tablet, you will likely face some performance issues and lags.

Pricing and Availability

The Microsoft Surface Go is the cheapest in Microsoft's Surface lineup, priced at only $399. The base model which arrives on July 10th comes with Wi-Fi only, but expect an LTE version later in 2018.

If you want to add the Surface Pen to your purchase, it will cost you an additional $99, while the Surface Go Signature Type Cover will cost you between $99 and $129 depending on the color you choose.

The Surface Go will be available in US, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, UK, Ireland, France, Germany, Austria, Belgium, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Switzerland, Denmark, Finland, Norway, Sweden, Poland, Italy, Portugal, and Spain starting July 10. It will reach more markets in the coming weeks.

The full Microsoft Surface Go specifications follow: