Microsoft launching Windows 11 SE and $249 Surface Laptop SE to take on Chromebooks

1. Home
2. News
3. Windows

Microsoft launching Windows 11 SE and $249 Surface Laptop SE to have on Chromebooks

(Image credit: Microsoft)

Windows xi SE has been unveiled by Microsoft today as a new, student-focused version of Windows 11 aimed squarely at the teaching market. As with Windows 11, information technology volition be rolled out this year alongside a fresh crop of low-cost Windows eleven SE laptops marketed to schools, led past Microsoft'due south own new $249 Microsoft Surface Laptop SE.

This confirms rumors nosotros've heard that Microsoft was working on a Chromebook competitor codenamed Tenjin to try and break into the marketplace for affordable laptops Grand-12 students can use to do schoolwork and nourish classes remotely.

While the specs of Microsoft'south new $249 Surface Laptop SE are pretty meager, they should be more than enough for surfing the web and doing homework — which ways Microsoft may take a decent shot at carving out more of the K-12 marketplace for itself.

• Here are the best laptops nether $500
• The all-time Chromebooks out right at present
• Plus: Best Chromebook Black Friday deals right now

In addition to the new Surface Laptop SE, get set up to see low-cost Windows xi SE laptops hitting shelves this year from vendors like Acer, Asus, Dell, Dynabook and more.

Windows 11 SE: What's dissimilar

Windows 11 SE appears to work much the same way as Windows xi, albeit with some unique hooks aimed at the education market. Start and foremost, Microsoft says Windows xi SE has been "optimized for the virtually-used education experiences", including Microsoft Role apps like Word, Excel, OneNote, OneDrive, and Powerpoint. Those Office apps will be available to use offline on Windows eleven SE if you lot have a valid Microsoft 365 license, and so students without Net access at home can nonetheless do schoolwork. Relevant files volition exist stored locally by OneDrive, with the goal of syncing them to the cloud in one case a pupil returns to school and has Internet access.

Windows 11 SE will work much the same way every bit Windows 11, just in a more limited and monitorable fashion (Paradigm credit: Microsoft)

Windows eleven SE will also, according to Microsoft, be like shooting fish in a barrel for school It admins to ready and configure via the company'south extant Windows Autopilot deployment service and Intune for Didactics device direction toolset. Windows 11 SE users volition be blocked from downloading and installing apps without Information technology admin approval, which should give kids a adept idea of what to wait from their futurity office jobs.

All the same, Microsoft took pains to note Windows 11 SE will support third-party apps like Chrome and Zoom, and the company will proceed to try and expand back up for the most common apps used in the classroom. So if schools have a favorite exam-taking app or monitoring solution, Microsoft wants to brand sure it works in Windows eleven SE.

You won't exist able to buy a copy of Windows 11 SE, or upgrade to it from Windows ten or Windows 11. Correct now, the only way to get Windows 11 SE (according to Microsoft) is to buy a compatible device with Windows 11 SE pre-installed. Said devices are expected to roll out throughout the rest of the yr and into 2022, though they'll be sold through instruction channels.

Microsoft Surface Laptop SE: Specs, price and more

Speaking of Windows 11 SE devices, Microsoft has added a new laptop to the Surface family: the $249 Microsoft Surface Laptop SE. It's an 11-inch plastic laptop with basic specs and what appears to be a thicker, simpler blueprint than its Surface siblings.

(Image credit: Microsoft)

Microsoft Surface Laptop SE specs

Toll	$249 to start
Display	eleven.vi-inch 720p TFT LCD (1366 ten 768)
CPU	Intel Celeron N4020 | N4120
GPU	Intel UHD Graphics 600
Memory	four-8 GB DDR4
Storage	64-128 GB eMMC
Ports	1 USB-A, ane USB-C, i 3.5mm headphone/mic jack, DC power port
Connectivity	802.11ac (2x) Wi-Fi, Bluetooth Wireless 5.0 LE
Cameras	1MP front-facing camera, can capture video @ 720p 30fps
Bombardment	16 hours battery life (advertised)
Size	11.7 ten 7.vi ten 0.7 inches
Weight	2.45 lbs

But with a starting price of under $300, what you become is a pretty solid deal. The Intel Celeron N4020 SoC that comes on the default model isn't very fast, but it should be enough powerful enough to handle light web browsing and homework duties. Its underpowered integrated graphics capabilities won't permit you run well-nigh PC games on this machine, but for many parents and teachers that'due south probably a proficient affair.

(Image credit: Microsoft)

The Surface Laptop Studio SE's paltry 4 GB of RAM is nigh what nosotros expect from Chromebooks and other laptops in the $200-$400 range, though if you lot splurge on the upgrade to eight GB you should be rewarded with improved performance. Likewise, it's overnice to see the SE ships with 64 GB of storage past default, every bit that'south the bare minimum you actually demand given that a chunk of it gets eaten up by installing Windows 11 SE. Information technology'south meliorate than the 32 GB that you get on an entry-level educatee Chromebook similar the Acer Chromebook Spin 311, though Chrome doesn't take up as much space on the hard drive every bit Windows 11 SE presumably does. Withal, information technology'due south probably a good idea to consider upgrading to the Surface Laptop SE's 128 GB storage pick if you don't want to worry almost managing and deleting files to costless upward storage space.

(Prototype credit: Microsoft)

The laptop itself comes in only i color, Glacier (aka white), and its all-plastic chassis should bear witness reasonably durable when thrown in a backpack. Microsoft claims the 40W battery should final up to 16 hours of usage on a single accuse, though based on our experience testing laptops you'll likely become less than that under real-globe conditions.

Microsoft hasn't set a firm date yet on when we can expect the Surface Laptop SE to become available for schools to purchase, saying merely that information technology and other Windows 11 SE devices volition ringlet out throughout 2021 and into 2022.

Outlook

Students around the world are even so doing a lot of remote learning due to the global lockdowns enforced to curb the COVID-19 pandemic. That's acquired a huge spike in demand for cheap laptops that can handle video calls and schoolwork, two things Windows 11 SE and the new $249 Microsoft Surface Laptop SE should be able to handle very well. If they prove pop amid educators, this could be a large success for Microsoft.

However, Chromebooks have already eaten Microsoft's lunch in the education marketplace, and it will likely be an uphill boxing to convince schools entrenched in the Chrome ecosystem to switch to Windows 11 SE. And information technology'due south not like this is Microsoft'southward beginning effort at the market, either: the company has taken a few swings at selling versions of Windows customized for low-powered laptops, from Windows RT to Windows 10 S, and so far none have actually matched the popularity of Chromebooks among educators.

Of course, it may be some fourth dimension earlier we know how popular Windows 11 SE and the slew of devices which run it volition be, every bit Microsoft says it expects the majority of new Windows eleven SE devices to become available for ordering through education channels later this yr and into 2022.

Alex Wawro is a lifelong tech and games enthusiast with more than than a decade of experience roofing both for outlets similar Game Developer, Blackness Hat, and PC World magazine. He currently serves as a senior editor at Tom's Guide covering all things computing, from laptops and desktops to keyboards and mice.

Source: https://www.tomsguide.com/news/microsoft-launching-windows-11-se-and-dollar249-surface-laptop-se-to-take-on-chromebooks

Posted by: deleonhicurang63.blogspot.com

Share this post