• Reporter 21
• 21 Oct, 2021

Microsoft’s rival to Google’s Chromebooks is finally available for schools and students.

In November the software giant announced Windows 11 SE, a version of its operating system that is designed specifically for classrooms. It said it would be available on low-cost devices, and is optimized for Edge, Microsoft Office, and the company’s other cloud-based tools like One-drive.

Users will not be able to download applications from the Windows Store because it is not available on the machine; instead, the computers have an authorized selection of apps that can be installed on it – such as Zoom and Google Chrome.
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The operating system has also been simplified so that apps can only run full screen, and Snap Layouts only load side-by-side. Widgets have also been removed, as Microsoft found it would be a distracting element in a classroom.

Those low-cost devices, meanwhile, include the Surface Laptop SE priced at $249 in the US and £229 in the UK. There are also a number of other laptops from Acer, Asus, Dell, and HP too.