Let’s see what’s new in Windows 11 SE, the devices it will run on, and if it can make a dent in Chrome OS’s market share.
Windows 11 SE Is Microsoft’s Answer to Chrome OS
Windows 11 SE is Microsoft’s take on an operating system for the K-8 classrooms. It will only be available on devices that are meant for the education market and, unlike Windows 10S, won’t be available on machines meant for the general public.
At the core, Windows 11 SE is just like Windows 11. It has the same user interface, start menu, and design language. However, Microsoft has made some sensible changes to the new OS to make it more suitable for classrooms.
For starters, there is no Microsoft Store on Windows 11 SE. So, students can’t download any third-party apps from the store. Microsoft has left the selection and deployment of third-party apps like Zoom and Chrome to IT admins. For instance, if students need Google Chrome for the classroom, the school’s IT admin can silently deploy the app to the devices.
Next, Microsoft has removed Windows 11’s widgets section in a bid to reduce classroom distractions. Similarly, the company has also limited Snap Layouts. Unlike standard Windows 11, Windows 11 SE only supports snapping two apps side by side at once. Once again Microsoft has done this to reduce distractions.
Furthermore, Microsoft bundles all Microsoft 365 apps with Windows 11 SE. Apps like Word, Excel, Teams, and OneDrive will not only sync students’ work with the cloud but will also be available offline. So, students don’t need to be connected all the time to access their work.
Windows 11 SE also supports Chrome extensions on the Edge browser. Microsoft noted in its blog post that many schools and educators use Chrome extensions in the classroom and so giving them the ability to decide what works best for them was paramount. It is worth noting that Microsoft Edge on Windows 11 doesn’t support Chrome extensions by default.
Finally, Microsoft has designed Windows 11 SE to be manageable over the cloud. IT admins can manage and push changes to the devices using Intune for Education. Any changes that IT admins push to devices will take effect outside of classroom hours, making it possible for schools to customize the OS experience without disrupting the workflow of students.
In short, Windows 11 SE cuts back a lot of features from the standard Windows 11 to streamline the experience and make the OS as distraction-free and easy to manage as possible.
Windows 11 SE Devices
One of the reasons why Chrome OS has taken over the education market is the affordability of Chromebooks. With Windows 10S Microsoft did figure out the software side of the things but it didn’t deliver budget-friendly devices to accompany it. Thankfully, Windows 11 SE is launching with the Surface SE—a super affordable laptop that comes in at just $249.
The internals of the Surface SE are representative of the device’s intended use case. The device packs an Intel Celeron N4020 processor, 4GB of RAM, 64 GB eMMC storage, 1MP webcam, and an 11.6-inch, 1366 x 768 resolution display. Microsoft rates the battery life at up to 16 hours with standard usage.
Microsoft isn’t the only one making devices with Windows 11 SE. Hardware partners like HP, Lenovo, Acer, Asus, Dell, and Dynabook will launch cheap Window 11 SE laptops with Intel and AMD chips by the end of this year and in 2022.
One thing to note here, however, is that these devices will only be available to schools and educators.
Can Windows 11 SE Compete With Chrome OS?
The simple answer to the above question is yes. Microsoft has got a lot right with Windows 11 SE. If the company manages to develop a healthy ecosystem of affordable devices running the new OS, it can pull some market share away from Chrome OS which is already experiencing slow growth. But this is easier said than done.
Microsoft needs to make sure that it doesn’t repeat the same mistakes that it did with Windows 10 S. For instance, only allowing users to download apps from the Microsoft Store was a huge misstep. So, if Microsoft can commit to delivering the features that educators want, all the while selling good quality cheap devices, Windows 11 SE will fare much better against Chrome OS than Microsoft’s previous efforts.
