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

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

(Prototype credit: Microsoft)

Windows 11 SE has been unveiled past Microsoft today as a new, educatee-focused version of Windows 11 aimed squarely at the education market. As with Windows 11, it will be rolled out this yr aslope a fresh ingather of depression-toll Windows eleven SE laptops marketed to schools, led past Microsoft's own new $249 Microsoft Surface Laptop SE.

This confirms rumors we've heard that Microsoft was working on a Chromebook competitor codenamed Tenjin to effort and pause into the market for affordable laptops Chiliad-12 students can use to do schoolwork and attend classes remotely.

While the specs of Microsoft's new $249 Surface Laptop SE are pretty meager, they should exist more than than enough for surfing the web and doing homework — which means Microsoft may take a decent shot at carving out more than of the 1000-12 market for itself.

• Hither are the all-time laptops nether $500
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In addition to the new Surface Laptop SE, get ready to meet depression-cost Windows eleven SE laptops hit shelves this year from vendors similar Acer, Asus, Dell, Dynabook and more.

Windows 11 SE: What's different

Windows 11 SE appears to piece of work much the same way as Windows 11, albeit with some unique hooks aimed at the education marketplace. Showtime and foremost, Microsoft says Windows eleven SE has been "optimized for the most-used education experiences", including Microsoft Office apps similar Word, Excel, OneNote, OneDrive, and Powerpoint. Those Role apps will exist available to utilise offline on Windows eleven SE if you have a valid Microsoft 365 license, then students without Internet access at home tin still practise schoolwork. Relevant files will be stored locally past OneDrive, with the goal of syncing them to the cloud once a educatee returns to school and has Internet access.

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

Windows 11 SE will as well, according to Microsoft, exist piece of cake for school Information technology admins to gear up and configure via the company'south extant Windows Autopilot deployment service and Intune for Education device management toolset. Windows 11 SE users will be blocked from downloading and installing apps without IT admin approving, which should give kids a practiced idea of what to expect from their future office jobs.

However, Microsoft took pains to note Windows 11 SE volition support third-party apps like Chrome and Zoom, and the company will continue to try and expand support for the nearly common apps used in the classroom. Then if schools have a favorite exam-taking app or monitoring solution, Microsoft wants to brand certain it works in Windows eleven SE.

You won't be able to buy a copy of Windows 11 SE, or upgrade to it from Windows 10 or Windows 11. Right now, the only manner to go Windows 11 SE (according to Microsoft) is to buy a compatible device with Windows 11 SE pre-installed. Said devices are expected to ringlet out throughout the residual of the twelvemonth and into 2022, though they'll exist sold through didactics channels.

Microsoft Surface Laptop SE: Specs, price and more than

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

Price	$249 to start
Display	eleven.half dozen-inch 720p TFT LCD (1366 10 768)
CPU	Intel Celeron N4020 | N4120
GPU	Intel UHD Graphics 600
Memory	4-8 GB DDR4
Storage	64-128 GB eMMC
Ports	1 USB-A, i USB-C, 1 3.5mm headphone/mic jack, DC ability port
Connectivity	802.11ac (2x) Wi-Fi, Bluetooth Wireless v.0 LE
Cameras	1MP forepart-facing camera, can capture video @ 720p 30fps
Battery	sixteen hours battery life (advertised)
Size	eleven.7 x 7.6 x 0.seven inches
Weight	ii.45 lbs

But with a starting price of under $300, what y'all get is a pretty solid deal. The Intel Celeron N4020 SoC that comes on the default model isn't very fast, but information technology should be enough powerful enough to handle light web browsing and homework duties. Its underpowered integrated graphics capabilities won't allow you run almost PC games on this automobile, but for many parents and teachers that'southward probably a good thing.

(Prototype credit: Microsoft)

The Surface Laptop Studio SE's paltry 4 GB of RAM is about what we expect from Chromebooks and other laptops in the $200-$400 range, though if y'all splurge on the upgrade to 8 GB you should be rewarded with improved performance. Likewise, it's nice to encounter the SE ships with 64 GB of storage by default, equally that'due south the blank minimum you actually need given that a chunk of it gets eaten upwards by installing Windows 11 SE. Information technology's better than the 32 GB that you lot get on an entry-level student Chromebook like the Acer Chromebook Spin 311, though Chrome doesn't take upward as much space on the hard drive as Windows 11 SE presumably does. Still, it's probably a good thought to consider upgrading to the Surface Laptop SE'south 128 GB storage option if yous don't desire to worry well-nigh managing and deleting files to free up storage space.

(Image credit: Microsoft)

The laptop itself comes in only one color, Glacier (aka white), and its all-plastic chassis should prove reasonably durable when thrown in a backpack. Microsoft claims the 40W battery should last up to sixteen hours of usage on a single charge, though based on our experience testing laptops yous'll likely get less than that nether real-world atmospheric condition.

Microsoft hasn't set a firm date even so on when we can expect the Surface Laptop SE to become available for schools to purchase, saying simply that it and other Windows 11 SE devices will roll out throughout 2021 and into 2022.

Outlook

Students effectually the world are still doing a lot of remote learning due to the global lockdowns enforced to curb the COVID-xix pandemic. That's caused a huge spike in demand for inexpensive 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 amongst educators, this could be a big success for Microsoft.

Notwithstanding, Chromebooks have already eaten Microsoft's lunch in the education market, and it volition likely exist an uphill battle to convince schools entrenched in the Chrome ecosystem to switch to Windows 11 SE. And it's not like this is Microsoft'southward offset attempt at the market, either: the company has taken a few swings at selling versions of Windows customized for depression-powered laptops, from Windows RT to Windows 10 Southward, and and so far none have really matched the popularity of Chromebooks amid educators.

Of course, it may exist some time before we know how popular Windows 11 SE and the slew of devices which run it will be, as Microsoft says it expects the bulk of new Windows 11 SE devices to become available for ordering through education channels later this year and into 2022.

Alex Wawro is a lifelong tech and games enthusiast with more than than a decade of experience covering both for outlets like Game Developer, Blackness Chapeau, and PC World magazine. He currently serves as a senior editor at Tom'southward Guide covering all things calculating, 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

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