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(Pocket-lint) - Microsoft hasn't fixed up connected schools conscionable yet.
While astatine an education-focused event successful precocious 2021, Microsoft introduced a super-cheap Surface Laptop SE moving a caller pupil variation of Windows 11. Called Windows 11 SE, it's designed to tally exclusively connected laptops made for K-8 classrooms successful the US. It's antithetic from the S Mode mentation of Windows that Microsoft antecedently pushed. Since S Mode fundamentally constricted users to Microsoft Store apps, it was much of a nuisance for schools and ne'er truly took off.
It's worthy noting, Chromebooks ain the K-12 market. If you went to elementary, middle, oregon adjacent precocious schoolhouse successful the US, you've utilized a Chrome OS laptop successful people and for homework. Microsoft has been trying to regain this conception for yet, and its latest effort could beryllium its truest Chrome OS rival yet.
What is Windows 11 SE?
Windows 11 SE is simply a caller variation of Windows 11 built specifically for students and schools. It's disposable connected caller low-cost devices sold to acquisition customers.
What's antithetic astir Windows 11 SE?
Most of the differences betwixt Windows 11 and Windows 11 SE are reasonably minor.
New features and changes
Microsoft said it talked to teachers and students to get feedback, and this led to a fistful of caller features and changes successful Windows 11 SE.
- Windows 11 SE comes with each the cardinal Microsoft 365 apps preinstalled
- Apps ever motorboat successful fullscreen mode connected Windows 11 SE
- Windows 11 SE has a simplified mentation of Snap Layouts
- Instead of multiple, it uses a single-mode that lets you spot apps broadside by side
- The Widgets conception of Windows 11 has besides been removed
- Microsoft said it's excessively distracting successful classrooms
- Microsoft Edge volition besides beryllium configured to judge Chrome extensions
- This is thing turned disconnected by default connected Windows 11
- Windows 11 SE backs up documents to OneDrive by default
- It has offline support, too!
- Windows 11 SE has a caller colorful Bloom wallpaper by default
Works with third-party apps
Windows 11 SE is, of course, optimised to tally Microsoft's services - from Edge browser to Office - but it’s not restricted to Microsoft Store apps. That means, dissimilar Microsoft's ill-fated S Mode, Windows 11 SE supports third-party apps, including Zoom and Chrome, giving schools the prime to usage what they want.
IT admin privileges
Windows 11 SE devices are managed and updated by a school's IT admins - adjacent extracurricular of the classroom. They are besides successful complaint of what apps tin beryllium installed. Microsoft said it spent implicit a twelvemonth discussing with IT admins their main concerns. Interestingly, they each mentioned repairability. So, Microsoft is allowing schools to regenerate components wrong its Windows 11 SE-powered Surface Laptop SE and volition adjacent merchantability them parts done work providers.
IT admins are besides receiving a much simplified backend absorption console for education. Microsoft is bundling apps, too, similar Teams, Office, OneNote, Minecraft for Education, and Flipgrid, truthful IT admins won’t person to separately instal them. Students tin simply unfastened up a Windows 11 SE laptop, participate their login information, and instantly get entree to their approved apps and cloud-saved documents. Simple - conscionable similar Chrome OS.
Which devices tally Windows 11 SE?
One of the archetypal devices is Microsoft's $249 Surface Laptop SE, but it's disposable exclusively to schools and students. The basal exemplary ships with an Intel Celeron processor, 4GB of RAM, 64GB of eMMC storage, and an 11.6-inch (1366 x 768 solution ) display. You tin larn much astir Surface Laptop SE here.
Other low-cost Windows 11 SE laptops are coming from Acer, Asus, Dell, Dynabook, Fujitsu, HP, JK-IP, Lenovo, and Positivo. These volition beryllium sold to schools.
When volition Windows 11 SE beryllium available?
Windows 11 SE laptops are expected to get successful acquisition channels aboriginal this twelvemonth and successful aboriginal 2022. The Surface Laptop SE is launching successful aboriginal 2022.
What's the constituent of Windows 11 SE?
Windows 11 SE is intelligibly Microsoft's latest effort to vie with Chrome OS. Chrome OS is casual for kids to usage and a breeze for IT admins and schools to manage, and Microsoft acceptable up Windows 11 SE truthful that it has the imaginable to beryllium conscionable arsenic user-friendly for acquisition customers.
Writing by Maggie Tillman. Originally published connected 9 November 2021.
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