In May 2017, Microsoft unveiled the long-rumored Windows 10 S. Since then, the thin client version of the successful Windows 10 operating system for home computers has received mixed reviews as a result of the limitations it imposes on those who They seek to use traditional inherited programs that can not be acquired through the Windows Store.
Instead of letting you download and install any program you want, as allowed by the traditional Microsoft Windows ecosystem, Windows 10 S restricts users to the Windows 10 Store applications. And, although there are obvious security benefits for This approach, traditional PC users are not very enthusiastic about the idea.
That's why, according to Microsoft's guardians at Thurett and Neowin, Microsoft is looking to transform Windows 10 S into & # 39; Windows 10 S & # 39; mode, as part of the Windows 10 Home and Pro complete, instead of being a separate operating system. This means that anyone using Windows 10 in S mode may have to pay to get the full desktop experience, depending on the version of Windows they are using.
For more information on that development, as well as the specific advantages and disadvantages of using Windows 10 S in its current state, read on to see the complete exhaustion.
Cut to the point
- What is it? Windows 10 without applications x86 and x64
- When does it come out? Available now
- How much will it cost? Free for all schools using Windows 10 Pro
Windows 10 S release date
Windows 10 S was originally released on May 2, 2017, with devices that release the operating system on the same day and others Devices, such as Surface Laptop, came out in the following months. And, with the Windows 10 S mode launching with the call & # 39; Spring creator update & # 39; In the next few months, we could see more devices using 10 S very soon.
The invitation to the Microsoft event itself was titled & # 39; #MicrosoftEDU & # 39;, no doubt about its objectives with the new operating system. Although Windows 10 S is not for individual sale, it is issued to IT administrators in education and laptops found in stores and online.
It's no coincidence that Windows 10 S focuses on the education sector, where Google Chromebooks are experiencing extravagant success.
Price of Windows 10 S
Windows 10 S does not cost a penny. Well, not to schools that already use Windows 10 Pro, that's it. The cost of the operating system is, more than likely, subsidized by the hardware manufacturers in their price, although for much less than Windows 10, if not for free.
In summary, you will not pay for Windows 10 S, therefore as it will pay for the hardware that runs it (with, again, anything that Microsoft charges its partners, in some way, to license the software to the oven of that price)
Save for the new Surface Laptop, laptops run Windows 10 S from $ 189 (around £ 146, AU $ 251) and a limit of around $ 299 (around £ 239, AU $ 396). Computer manufacturers around the world, including Dell, HP, Asus, Acer and Lenovo, have launched notebooks with Windows 10 S at the moment.
It is said that premium category laptops also join the Windows 10 S family, but in addition to Microsoft's own Surface Laptop, there have been few so far, except for Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 laptops, such as Asus NovaGo and Lenovo Miix 630.
With the spread of the word that Microsoft aims to make Windows 10 S in a mode within Windows 10 itself, however, there may soon be an additional software cost for those looking to unlock compatibility with programs that do not appear in Microsoft's own digital storefront.
Although Windows 10 Home users will be exempt from this fee, Pro users will presumably have to spend $ 49 to exit the & # 39; Mode S & # 39; sure to be controversial. That said, the way it will be monetized does not sound so different from the current situation.
What is Windows 10 S?
As we said, Windows 10 S is a lighter, smaller version of Windows 10. Specifically, the operating system can only support applications downloaded from the Microsoft Windows Store and those that are already integrated in the operating system.
This conversation about a version of Windows that can only download applications approved by Microsoft is familiar, right? Microsoft believes it has mastered this approach since the turbulent days of Windows RT and Windows 8 with Bing, both trying to position Microsoft as the only application provider through curatorship.
The good news is that this allows a start time of less than 5 seconds compared to the start time of 30 – 40 seconds of Windows 10 Pro. Not only that, but you also configure settings (such as Wi-Fi, webcam, etc.) in a whole class of students is as easy as inserting a USB device into each of your laptops.
Compete with Google's Chrome operating system, Microsoft, of course, has also positioned Windows 10 S as a more secure PC operating system. However, its resistance to viruses is mainly a side effect of the inability to install applications not approved by Microsoft. Historically, Windows viruses have exploded from unreliable Internet downloads
. In case you find a must-have application that is not available in the Microsoft Store on Windows 10 S, you can change Windows 10 S to Windows 10 Pro, that is, Windows 10 we know that you can install any application, for a fee. They are $ 49 for individuals, a fee that does not apply to Windows 10 S devices sold in schools.
More recently, Microsoft also made it possible for Windows 10 Pro enhancers to return to Windows 10 S. So if you change your After installing Windows 10 Pro on the shiny new Surface Laptop, you can rest easy knowing that you are not tied to his decision in one way or another.
Having said that, what can be expected to be included in Windows devices? 10 S? Well, the Edge browser, OneNote and Windows Ink are all given. The standard applications of Movies and Groove Music, as well as Maps, Mail and Calendar are also shoo-ins.
Of course, we will not see support for x86 / x64 progr
ams in a Windows 10 operating system until 2019 when the aforementioned Polaris is expected to touch and implement a virtualization container & # 39; for each of your favorite legacy applications. That means that, yes, if everything works perfectly, there will be a Windows 10 operating system in the cloud that can emulate the .exe of the past.
Despite its limitations, Windows 10 S still has the File Explorer, and although many of the laptops that come with the preinstalled lightweight operating system can send lower capacity SSDs, the next OneDrive Files On- Microsoft's demand will make it possible for files to be stored in the cloud, but visualized in the same way as locally stored content. 19659002] Considering all of the above, there are still doubts about the viability of Windows 10 S. Fortunately, as new developments arise to (thankfully) address those criticisms, you can count on us to cover them here on this page.
Gabe Carey has also contributed to this article