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.

Surface laptop go review