Microsoft Surface Go is the company's cheapest laptop to take on the Apple iPad

Microsoft today announced its cheapest, smallest and most portable Surface laptop yet, the Surface Go. Starting at a price of $399, Microsoft seems to be trying to re-enter the low-end budget laptop segment and take on the Apple iPad and iPad Pro.[caption id="attachment_4703801" align="alignnone" width="1024"] The Microsoft Surface Go. Image: Microsoft[/caption]Featuring a 10-inch display, the Surface Go comes in at the same size as the iPad Pro and is also $400 cheaper than the newest Surface Pro. According to details listed in a blog post by Microsoft, the Go is also far lighter than current Surface series laptops with a weight of 1.15 pounds is also adequately thin at 8.3 mm to be the perfect travel companion.Microsoft says that the Surface Go comes with a factory calibrated 3:2 PixelSense display that supports the Surface Pen. The Wi-Fi version of the laptop goes on sale in the US on 2 August which cellular variants are expected to arrive later this year.[caption id="attachment_4703531" align="alignnone" width="1280"] The Microsoft Surface Go. Image: Microsoft[/caption]While those are the pros of the Surface Go, you do get a far less capable Intel Pentium processors that are also less battery efficient. While Microsoft is of the opinion that this will not affect user experience given one sticks to regular tasks like browsing, consuming media and using light productivity apps, users still do have to shell out more for an optional keyboard or mouse.The Surface Go will be available in a number of configurations, including 64 GB, 128 GB, and 256 GB storage options and 4 GB or 8 GB of RAM. Prices for the top-end variant is expected to reach north of $549, leaving accessories aside. For a first on a surface laptop, the Go will use the USB-C charging standard which is a welcome addition for those who do not like to carry around too many cables.Apple earlier this year launched a student-oriented $299 iPad in a bid to attract users at the lower-end of the laptop-buying segment while also emphasising on its portability aspect.