Look, $839 is a lot of money... unless you're talking computers. Any computer you buy for that little is firmly a "budget" PC, as far as the people making them are concerned. They're not impressive, or especially fast, or pretty. They're purely functional -- the Ford Fiesta of computers. The sheer mediocrity of the sub-$900 range of laptops is why the new Microsoft Surface Go is so damn special. It's a cheap laptop that's actually nice.

With the announcement of Microsoft's new Surface Go, there will be more than a few nervous folks at the Apple and Samsung head offices.

The Surface Go promises to deliver a lot in a compact and inexpensive package that could single-handedly put a massive dent in not just those tablet makers' bottom line but also the entire Chromebook market. Here's a look at how the Microsoft Surface Go compares to its major competitors.

Yesterday I wrote about the unveiling of Microsoft's Surface Go, the smallest and lightest Surface. It's not targeted at performance freaks, but it is also very cheap if you can live with an Intel 4415Y CPU - and it also comes in two models.