Name: Tremplin Numérique
Price range: $$$

NOTICE: This week Microsoft released a slew of new devices including the Surface Pro 8, Surface Laptop Studio, and Surface Duo.

But for me, in this sea of launches, it was the more affordable Surface Go 3 that stood out, and it's not because it's the most interesting new Surface in the pack. The Duo 2 is an impressive-looking dual-screen phone, and the Laptop Studio is the first Microsoft device I've seen in quite some time with the tech specs to go along with the MacBook Pro (2021) in the market. creation .

Instead, it's because the Go 3 openly focuses on being a kid's tablet that's got my attention. This was evident by the time the company revealed the device, with each image showing a smiling kid doing homework (clear propaganda), watching cartoons, and even playing games on Microsoft's Game Pass cloud streaming service.

The move also makes perfect sense. Over the past few years, the tablet market has been in pretty bad shape, with Apple securing a majority with just about every demographic, including kids, with its iPads. The only minor challenger for young audiences comes from Amazon with its Fire line, but these are little more than gateways to Amazon's e-commerce platforms and streaming services - calling them an iPad rival. is a little nice. The only real incentive to buy a Fire tablet is its low cost. Providing a real iPad alternative for kids could be a huge win for the Surface Go 3.

And to be clear, I think the Surface Go 3 could in many ways be a better option for kids ages 7 and up than an iPad. Windows 11's touchscreen interface is superb, and Microsoft's operating system offers a more open range of applications, giving access to great free software like Krita and Blender for budding creations. Most schools, outside of the fancy private schools, still use Windows, which adds a practical touch to the mix.

In my experience, Game Pass is also a great service for parents who want to control their children's gaming habits. To catch up with you, Game Pass is a subscription service that lets you stream games to the cloud on devices other than your home console. Like Netflix, it provides access to a library of titles, including all Microsoft exclusives. The advantage is obvious, because if you want to prevent a child from playing, you simply stop paying or suspending the subscription.

Despite the benefits, parents and Microsoft will have a hard time persuading kids to add a Surface Go 3 to their Christmas list for one simple reason: Microsoft got their marketing wrong.

Microsoft has always touted itself as a safe and reliable company, with its marketing generally focusing on rational arguments to show why its products are great for things like productivity and practicality. It's good if you are a business, but not so appealing to young people. I mean seriously, showing a kid how awesome Office 365 is for homework isn't going to make them want a Surface Go 3.

Children are not influenced by a well-structured rational set of points or technical information. Much like the atmosphere Apple has cultivated around its smartphones, having an iPad is a status symbol, falling into this loop of being a cool product that kids want because it's cool and that's what. all their friends have.

That's why Apple's iPad 9 is likely to be a bigger hit with kids this year, although Apple hasn't pushed a lot of marketing directly to them. Speaking to my niece and goddaughter, it became terrifyingly clear. When I asked them if they liked and potentially wanted a new Surface Go, the two gave a separate 'meh' before they started watching SpongeBob and Paw Patrol again on their aging iPad Mini 3.

For reference, the iPad Mini 3 is potentially Apple's worst iPad ever. The fact that it has even more street credit on any playground says a lot about how Apple has positioned itself as the 'cool' company for kids and is clear proof that the Go 3 is going to have a hard time getting the kids to change sides, despite a lot more to offer.