Apple's educational event in March drew a lot of attention online, mostly due to the upgrade of the iPad range and a new entry-level iPad of $ 329. Microsoft comes with a tablet focused on the cloud in a range of Similar prices, which could offer the same characteristics.
But although Redmond will be happy with Surface Go if it takes over the education market, the signs indicate that this is not the real prize.
First is the architecture. There are good words in the launch blog post about the choice of processor and the benefits offered, but it is clear that these benefits will be obtained at the expense of maximum speed.
A device powered by the 7th Generation Intel Pentium Gold 4415Y processor, in a fanless design, offering up to nine hours of battery life. Our team worked closely with Intel to optimize power, performance and battery for the most critical tasks that people perform every day.
Looks will be raised that Microsoft chose an Intel Pentium, rather than something more ambitious Intel's scope, or a more futuristic option, such as a SnapDragon on-chip system.
What support will the Pentium chip have? Legacy applications. Unlike devices such as the iPad powered by iOS or web-centric Chromebooks, Windows 10 retains the ability to run older Windows applications. And although not many schools will continue to run WordStar, there will be countless operations that will use previous code that is not easily transferred to the newer platforms.
And now the Surface Go is crowded with legacy applications support that will run countless applications in the Enterprise space, talk to business services and, in general, integrate very well into a business environment.
Naturally, it has a strong protection against the environment so it can be taken out of the office and taken to the field. Fortunately, the Intel chip means that cooling without a fan is possible and that there are no annoying air intakes in the design. There are also rugged protective boxes that are classified according to the MIL standard specifications.
Add conspicuous mentions of NFC support to use RFID to help maintain inventory, front-facing cameras for video conferencing and 'Hello' biometric security, and a nine-hour battery that will have a worker perform a regular shift before the device can you need recharging, and you have the other half of the equation that starts with Surface Books and Surface Pros of high and high quality. Now it has a surface that can happily fill the floor of the factory.
Surface Go would be a solid machine in the educational market, and the inclusion of Windows S helps management. The Office365 highlight draws comparison with cloud-based Chromebooks. Everyone is welcome, but the real fight may not be in the classrooms of the university. Notice if Surface Go appears on store floors, construction parks and warehouses. Locations that need a lightweight, functional computer with legacy application support, full-day battery life, robust protection, and connectivity back to servers and the cloud.
