Microsoft unveils $249 Surface Laptop SE with Windows 11 SE for the K-8 classroom

Surface Laptop Se Render Source: Microsoft

What you need to know

Microsoft is adding a new laptop to its Surface hardware portfolio.
Information technology'south called Surface Laptop SE and is the most affordable Surface yet at $249.
It's built specifically for 1000-8 didactics markets for deployment in classrooms.
The laptop ships with Windows 11 SE designed for K-8 markets and low-toll hardware.

Microsoft has unveiled a new addition to its always growing Surface PC line-up today with a $249 laptop designed specifically for the K-viii instruction sector. Dubbed the "Surface Laptop SE," this new laptop marks the offset of a new didactics strategy for Microsoft, launching with Windows 11 SE pre-loaded which was built for education-focused PCs in listen.

Surface Laptop SE is a big departure for the Surface line, being the first that isn't primarily designed as a "premium" product. Instead, Surface Laptop SE aims to be the best available in the very low-finish segment of the market place, in an surface area where premium fit, finish, and performance isn't sought subsequently.

Education PCs such every bit Surface Laptop SE are designed to be handed out to students, thrown around, and then returned to schools at the end of the year. All they need to do is allow students to go work done in grade or at home, and so the specs and design don't need to be flashy. To maintain a depression starting price of $249, Microsoft has opted to keep things as basic as possible, merely similar other PCs designed for the pedagogy sector.

Category	Surface Laptop SE
Operating Arrangement	Windows xi SE
Display	11.six inches, 16:9 attribute ratio 1366x768 (135 ppi) resolution TFT
Processor	Intel Celeron N4020 Intel Celeron N4120
Graphics	Intel UHD Graphics 600
Memory	4GB DDR4 8GB DDR4
Storage	64GB eMMC 128GB eMMC
Expandable Storage	None
Front Photographic camera	1MP
Bio authentication	None
Connectivity	Wi-Fi 802.11ac (2x2), Bluetooth 5.0 LE
Ports	1x USB-A 1x USB-C iii.5mm headphone jack Barrel-blazon DC port
Audio	2W stereo speakers Single digital microphone
Battery	Up to sixteen hours
Dimensions	11.17 x 7.6 x 0.seventy inches
Weight	2.45 lbs (1112.4g)
Colors	Glacier

Surface Laptop SE features a 16:9 11.six-inch 1366x768 TFT display, an Intel Celeron N4020 and N4120, 4GB or 8GB RAM, and 64GB or 128GB eMMC storage, all housed in a plastic outside chassis. The laptop is lightweight as well, coming in at just ii.45 lbs. It has a 1MP front facing camera, capable of 720p video at 30fps. Regarding ports, it has one USB-A, i USB-C, ane headphone jack, and 1 barrel-way DC connector.

Microsoft highlights Surface Laptop SE's first-class keyboard and trackpad equally stand-out editions over the competition in this area of the marketplace, as well as its 720p video camera and mic making it a great choice for remote students. Overall, the Surface Laptop SE is very unlike for the "Surface" line, but it falls right in line with other depression-toll PCs that are built for this sector.

Another prominent feature of Surface Laptop SE is repairability. The laptop uses regular screws exposed on the bottom (non subconscious under safe feet) for ease of access for RAM, storage, bombardment, and more. No special tools are needed, and almost work can be done without sending the laptop out for repairs.

Who is the Surface Laptop SE for?

Surface Laptop Se Render Source: Microsoft

Microsoft has built Surface Laptop SE for schools ownership laptops in majority to hand out to students in classrooms and to take dwelling. This is a PC for kids in kindergarten all the way up to class 8, which explains the low-finish specs and plastic pattern. This laptop is more equipped enough for educatee work in this age range.

It'due south important to stress that Surface Laptop SE does not compete with "consumer facing" laptops on the market. You can get way more than capable and "nicer" laptops for more than money which have been built with more than general audiences in mind such as the Surface Go or Surface Laptop Go.

But with a starting price of $249, the Surface Laptop SE is the most affordable Surface all the same. Microsoft says it'south only bachelor to purchase through pedagogy channels, pregnant normal consumers won't exist able to grab one of these anyway. This laptop is designed to be bought in majority past education establishments for deployment to classrooms and students with OS configurations specific to their school.

What is Windows xi SE?

Surface Laptop Se Render Source: Microsoft

Surface Laptop SE ships with Windows 11 SE out of the box, which is a new edition of Windows 11 designed specifically for the education marketplace. It was congenital with feedback from teachers and IT admins managing pupil PCs, and Microsoft says it's easier to deploy and manage, beingness more configurable and better optimized for low-end hardware with pocket-size displays.

For example, Windows 11 SE has its snapping aid mode limited to just side-by-side layouts, which makes sense on PCs with small screens and depression RAM. Additionally, access to mutual areas of the system such equally "This PC" in File Explorer and the Microsoft Store have been removed, as student rarely need to access those areas when working.

Indeed, in a demo of the new optimized OS on the new hardware, information technology was evident how much zippier the feel is compared to traditional Windows 11 on similar silicon. With reduced overhead, fewer background processes, and smaller Os install, Microsoft says the experience is more similar to a $500 laptop versus a $250 i. Even the 720P webcam is tricked out with a premium lens and dual mics, which fabricated it hard to differentiate from a college-end PC in a live demo.

Microsoft notes that, dissimilar Chromebooks, Windows 11 SE tin can role offline with the student'due south lessons downloaded to the device for use at home or wherever at that place is no internet connectivity. This ability solves a big problem for teachers and students where net access at home oses a trouble for some lower-income families. With Windows 11 SE, students can still follow the homework and class lessons in Microsoft Teams and complete the assignment without relying on connectivity.

Windows 11 SE is non a new "Windows xi in Southward manner" blazon thing. Windows 11 SE tin still run apps from outside the Microsoft Store; it's rather an edition of Windows xi designed only for low-end pedagogy PCs. It'southward essentially Microsoft's reply to the teaching market now that Windows 10X has been canceled.

And when combined with Microsoft Intune for Education, Information technology can deploy software and manage the devices remotely. IT can fifty-fifty send a new laptop to a student at habitation, and during the out-of-box experience, the OS can pre-install software and configure the device remotely according to that school's desires.

Unfortunately, Windows 11 SE is very much based on classic Windows and non the more modern, lightweight Windows 10X codebase, which means information technology's still missing vital education sector functionality such as fast user wiping and provisioning besides as faster, unintrusive Windows Updates. Perhaps this will be added in the time to come.

Microsoft does say Windows 11 SE updates silently in the background during out of course hours as set up by group policy, but it's still the same onetime Windows Update organization as found on Windows eleven, so information technology'll withal be a much slower procedure compared to something like Chrome OS.

When does it launch?

Microsoft says teaching customers can begin ordering the Surface Laptop SE through the appropriate channels subsequently this year and into 2022. Pricing starts at $249 for the model with 4GB RAM, an Intel Celeron N4020, and 64GB storage.

EDU PC

Surface Laptop Se Se Render

Surface Laptop SE

Depression-cost hardware for schools.

Surface Laptop SE is the first Surface designed to be equally affordable as possible for students in the M-viii education sector. Featuring an all-plastic exterior, Intel Celeron on the within, upwards to 8GB RAM, and up to 128GB eMMC storage, this is a PC schools volition want to buy in bulk to hand out in classrooms.

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