Think of the new Surface Go as a Surface Pro left in the dryer too long, or hit by a shrink ray. Expect the same feel as the larger flagship device, with everything just smaller.

The tablet portion of the Surface Go measures 0.33 by 9.6 by 6.98 inches (HWD) and weighs just 1.15 pounds.

Plenty of Windows tablets have sought to emulate it, but the stiff "friction hinge" kickstand is a major feature that makes the Surface tablets so versatile.

The display measures 10 inches diagonally, and bears an 1,800-by-1,200-pixel native resolution. (That's a 3:2 aspect ratio with 217 pixels per inch.)

The Surface Go's narrower body and kickstand mean you have to keep your legs pretty close together, or else the device will fall between them.

The keyboard, sold separately, is a little cramped to type on, but the keys are backlit and deliver satisfying action.

If you are going to make the jump and purchase a keyboard for your Surface Go, Microsoft offers a few options. The more premium choice is the $129 Surface Go Signature Type Cover, which comes in the platinum, burgundy, and cobalt options shown here. (The ordinary $99 Type Cover comes just in black.)

Through the proprietary Surface dock connector, the Surface Go can do video output to an external display (up to 4K) for serious desktop work.

Microsoft showed me some examples of educational applications that may be employed in the classroom. This included an app that teaches Mandarin; you trace the characters with the Surface Pen.

Other potential classroom uses include augmented reality using the cameras.

The same Surface Pen that's available for other Surface products will work on the Surface Go, and it can attach to the flank of the tablet magnetically.

You'll find cameras on both the front and the rear of the Surface Go, though you can see it's still hard not to look silly taking photos with a tablet.