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Microsoft Corp. introduced the cheapest model of its Surface laptop, aiming to grab a bigger share of the lucrative laptop market by targeting students and budget buyers.
The Surface Laptop Go, starting at $ 549, is smaller and lighter than the company’s other laptops and has a fingerprint scanner for logging in.
The device comes in three metallic finishes – ice blue, platinum, and a rose gold color that Microsoft calls sandstone – and has 13 hours of battery life and an Intel Corp. processor.
Customers can reserve Thursday before the availability of the laptops on October 13, Surface Vice President Pete Kyriacou said. He said.
Microsoft is launching its second laptop, expanding the Surface product line into the traditional laptop market after starting out pioneering a different type of device: the two-in-one or removable tablet, which consists of a detachable touch screen. of a keyboard.
Apple Inc.’s cheapest laptop is the $ 999 MacBook Air, while Chromebooks based on Google’s software from various manufacturers start at around $ 250 for a decent model. Google’s Pixelbook Go, that company’s low-end laptop, retails for $ 650.
The software maker uses the Surface business to showcase its Windows and Office programs and to experiment with different hardware designs.
Microsoft has a much smaller position in the laptop market than the detachable tablet space, where it ranks second behind Apple.
In the June quarter, Microsoft sold more than 1.61 million detachable machines and 245,934 laptops, according to IDC.
The laptop market is a much bigger prize, worth nearly $ 44 billion in the June period, compared to less than $ 10 billion for detachable tablets, IDC said.
In the year ending June 30, Surface sales increased 8%, or $ 457 million, Microsoft said in a document, without specifying total revenue. That’s a slower rate than the 23% increase the year before.
The company reported $ 6.46 billion in device revenue for the year, a metric that includes Surface devices, as well as mice and keyboards.
The Redmond, Washington-based company also unveiled a new Surface Pro X, an update to its detachable tablet device that runs a custom chip developed with Qualcomm Inc. and uses technology from ARM Ltd.
The new model is faster and has 15 hours of battery life, Robin Seiler, Surface vice president, said in a video shared with reporters. Upgraded versions of the Pro X start at $ 1,499.
Microsoft will also start selling Surface in eleven new European markets: Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Estonia, Greece, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Romania, Slovakia and Slovenia.
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