Microsoft has announced the Surface Laptop Go, a lighter and cheaper version of the existing Surface Laptop. 'Surface Laptop Go' is just 1.1 kg (though still twice the weight of the touch hybrid Surface Go), and is available in Ice Blue, Sandstone, and Platinum. There are three spec levels, though the base one a) isn't available yet, and b) lacks a core USP. So consider the true start cost as £700, for a 8GB RAM, 128GB SSD model.

Spec notes:

• 12.4" 1536x1024 PixelSense touchscreen
• Precision trackpad
• Full-size keyboard with 1.3mm key travel
• Intel 10th generation i5 Quad Core processor
• Up to 16GB RAM
• Up to 256GB storage (the base model has only 4GB RAM and a 64GB eMMC drive so isn't recommended for general use).
• Fingerprint reader integrated into the power button for Windows Hello authentication (not available on the cheapest 4GB RAM model)
• USB-C port
• USB-A port
• 3.5 mm headphone jack
• Surface Connect port
• Stereo 'Omnisonic Speakers' and Dolby Audio
• 720p HD front camera. 

You can pre-order the Surface Laptop Go here, with the main options being £700 (the most common) and then a whopping £900 (no-one's going to go for this) for just an upgrade to 256GB internal SSD.

To be fair, the Surface Laptop Go does fill a price hole in Microsoft's line-up, which now goes something like this in terms of ascending price order (though complicated by variants, of course):

• Surface Go 
• Surface Laptop Go
• Surface Pro
• Surface Laptop
• Surface Book
• Surface Studio

What do you think?

PS. There's now a longer intro video online (which also includes details on the new Surface Pro X variant.