I want a Microsoft Surface GO with goOS
Microsoft released the hardware I'd like to use with software like macOS, but Microsoft released the device with Windows 10 onboard. Apple won't likely release anything smaller than a MacBook Air with macOS onboard, ever – but I still want one. Or maybe what I want is top-notch hardware with a capable operating system without all the junk on Windows that only ever gets in the way of my everyday computing activities. I want something like Windows, but without the junk – I want something we'll call goOS.
I don't use macOS for much that I can't also do on Windows, and vice-versa. It's the extra bits and pieces that get in the way. I know how to get rid of all the added junk – the apps I never asked for, the pop-up notifications, the smart assistants I rarely ever find a reason to interact with. But thinking like the average consumer: I don't want to have to take the time to get rid of stuff I do not want to have to interact with.
ABOVE: This could be us, but you still pushin' Cortana.
That's why I like macOS. When I buy a MacBook, it feels like I bought a piece of hardware, and that even the software inside that hardware feels like part of the product I purchased. When I buy any one of the hundreds of Windows machines on the market today, I feel like I'm watching cable TV.
I don't subscribe to cable TV, and I never have, and I never will. I will not pay for a service that includes advertisements. To me that'd be like buying a sandwich covered in stickers, and each sticker is telling me to buy a different sandwich. I already bought a sandwich, I shouldn't have to spend the time removing all these stickers before I partake in eating said sandwich.
When I buy a Windows computer, I feel like I shouldn't see ANY apps beyond the most extreme set of basics. I shouldn't need to have to comb through the computer to get rid of all the games and special offer apps and pre-downloaded nonsense.
If a Microsoft Surface GO were released with macOS, that'd be amazing. I'd buy that. Even if it cost more than an iPad Pro, I'd consider buying it. NOTE: I find the iPad Pro difficult to use for anything beyond illustrating images and reading comic books because iOS is still a mobile OS, and not nearly tuned for everyday work as macOS or Windows. SEE TOO: iPad Pro 10.5 Review (2017): Half the laptop replacement story by my colleague Chris Davies.
Wrap-up
Some advice for Microsoft: Strip Windows 10 down to its basics and slap it on the Surface GO. OR include an option right from the start that says "click this button to turn all intrusive nonsense OFF until further notice." With that, you'd have a major winner on your hands. Count me in on that one.
Have a peek at the intro video to the Microsoft Surface GO below, and think about what you'd like to do with this computer if you had ANY options, ALL options, EVERY option available. And keep dreaming. #goossimplicity