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Microsoft has accelerated its assault against Google’s Chromebook with the entry-level Surface Laptop Go, shifting the market positioning of its once premium-only Surface line. The Microsoft

Surface Go is the company’s most affordable Surface yet, priced at US$549.99 and pledging a marriage of style and substance. According to Taiwanese trade publication, DigiTimes, the Surface

Go was created to target the growth of Chromebooks within the laptop/notebook market. Whilst Microsoft’s PCs/notebooks have benefitted from rising demand amidst the coronavirus pandemic,

Chromebooks have charged ahead. Latest Omnia industry forecasts expect Chromebooks to climb 28% year-on-year in 2021. According to DigiTimes Research, Chromebook shipments are tipped to

climb 88.2% on-year in 2020, plus another 13.5% in 2021. Google has also commenced marketing Chromebooks to the Enterprise sector, which trade sources claim has put pressure on Microsoft. It

comes after Microsoft positioned the Surface as high-end device with a 2-in-1 form factor upon launch, with pricing above the market’s average. “Under the trend of this new normal, notebook

PC shipment will grow continuously by the replacement of desktop PCs and the rapid expansion of the age group of notebook PC users,” states Omdia senior principal analyst, Jeff Lin. The

firm expects demand for notebooks to further leap in the first half of 2021, as enterprises accelerate the improvement of privacy and security for remote working. Global notebook PC /

Chromebook shipments and YoY change (2018 – 2024) About Post Author Roma Christian CONTRIBUTOR (Award-nominated technology writer)