In recent years Microsoft has brought its official Surface hardware into the country, which means global announcements are of more interest to local consumers. The latest announcement is for the company’s “most affordable” notebook to date, the Surface Laptop Go 2.

While local availability and pricing for this latest iteration of Surface notebook is yet to be revealed, Microsoft has listed pricing to start from $599 (~R9 294) in the States.

So what is on offer for that price?

In terms of silicon, Microsoft will be offering up to an Intel 11th Gen quad-core i5-1135G7, with the aforementioned base model featuring 4GB RAM and 128GB storage. There are also 16GB RAM and 256GB storage models, but this will be region dependent. Added to this is a 12.4″ PixelSense touch display and the aluminium chassis tipping the scale at 1.13kg.

In terms of other notable features, a 720p camera is present for videoconferencing, as well as fingerprint sensor embedded into the power button, along with Microsoft highlighting the keyboard experience as having 30 percent more key travel than a MacBook Air.

While the Apple device is not the Surface Laptop Go 2’s most immediate competition, it looks like Microsoft is aiming this device to be a Chromebook alternative with several components being replaceable like the trackpad and battery.

In terms of colours, Microsoft is making a few options available outside of generic silver.

“In addition to Ice Blue, Sandstone and Platinum, we’re excited to offer Surface Laptop Go 2 in a fresh Sage color. Inspired by subtle nature tones, Sage carries green and gray notes with a hint of blue. In the natural light, you’ll notice the soft reflection of the premium aluminum material,” adds the company in a blog post.

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