Microsoft's new portable and affordable Surface Laptop Go is up for pre-order now

Microsoft has introduced another family member to its Surface range of portable computing devices – the Surface Laptop Go – available for pre-order now in Australia and looking set to take on the rumoured 12-inch MacBook.

As the name suggests, this is a more affordable entry in the premium Surface Laptop line-up (Microsoft’s MacBook equivalents), starting at just AU$999 and getting more expensive with more powerful configurations.

The Surface Laptop Go sports a more compact form factor than its bigger Surface siblings and, although Microsoft has kept costs down by sticking with an i5 processor for all configurations, you do still get a full-featured laptop.

It sports a 12.4-inch PixelSense touchscreen, a full-sized keyboard, a fingerprint scanner, an HD camera and the promise of 13 hours of battery life. There's also a USB-C and USB-A port. Alongside the 10th-gen Intel Core i5 CPUs are configurations ranging from 4GB, 8GB or 16GB of system memory (RAM) and 64GB, 128GB, or 256GB SSD storage.

Most importantly though, the new Surface Laptop Go is available in three stylish shades – Ice Blue, Sandstone, and Platinum.

As mentioned, Microsoft has opened up pre-orders already, with the device shipping out from October 13.

Microsoft Surface Laptop Go | from AU$999

<p>Available for pre-order right now in three different colours and shipping from October 13, this 12-inch laptop promises not just portability but some decent amount of power as well. This might actually give Apple a run for its money, potentially making it a great Windows alternative for students or anyone on a limited budget.

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