Microsoft Windows 10 S, Surface laptop launched

At its special education-focused event in New York, Microsoft launched its much-anticipated Google Chrome OS rival — Windows 10 S. The new cloud-based variant of Windows 10 is aimed primarily at the education sector and is designed to run even on low-end devices. Speaking at the event, Terry Myerson, executive vice president of the Windows and Devices group, said that Windows 10 S is compatible with ‘everything’ that can be downloaded from the Windows Store, including desktop apps. He further added that the OS can run through any browser available on the Windows Store.

Windows 10 S comes with a tweaked login page and a new streamlined wallpaper. Microsoft claims that it takes 15 seconds for Windows 10 S to start up and get ready for the first time use, something that is taken from Windows 10 Pro. It is possible to set up PCs using a USB drive with pre-configured options. The company claims that the laptops running Windows 10 S will start at as low as $189 and will be arriving ‘this summer’. In addition, all Windows 10 S machines will come with a free subscription of Minecraft: Education Edition. For schools already having Windows 10 Pro-powered PCs, Microsoft will be offering Windows 10 S free of cost. The OS will come with free Office 365 education licence, along with Microsoft Teams collaboration service.

Apart from the cloud-based Windows 10 S, Microsoft also launched a new laptop — Surface Laptop — which was rumoured for the past few days. The laptop will come with Windows 10 S and has a 13.5-inch PixelSense display, along with a keyboard made up of alcantara material. It will be powered by either of Intel Core i5 and i7 CPUs. Microsoft Surface chief Panos Panay commented at the launch event that the Surface laptop’s battery life stretches up to 14.5 hours. Talking about the processing power of the Surface Laptop, Panay claimed that the device is 50% faster than the MacBook Air laptop powered by an Intel Core i7 processor. In addition, it was mentioned that the device has its speakers placed behind the keys, for an immersive sound experience. The base variant of Surface Laptop comes with an Intel Core i5 processor and is priced at $999. It will be made available in the US starting June 15.