Latest news with #SurfaceLaptopSE
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Yahoo
Windows 11 SE is now officially dead - and Microsoft's war against Chromebooks is all but lost
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. Microsoft has said Windows 11 SE will run out of support in October 2026 This brings an end to this alternative spin on Windows 11 However, Surface Laptop SE owners were previously promised a longer timeframe of support for their devices Microsoft has announced that it's dropping support for Windows 11 SE in just over a year's time, leaving buyers of low-cost laptops running this spin on its OS in the lurch - and admitting defeat with this most recent initiative to take on Google's Chromebooks. If you're unfamiliar with Windows 11 SE, it was designed as a (kind of) lightweight version of the desktop operating system. It was preinstalled on affordable laptops that were priced to do well in the education sector, trying to take a piece of the pie that Chromebooks dominate (SE seemingly stood for Student or School Edition). Windows Central reports that Microsoft announced via its Learn portal that Windows 11 SE support is being shuttered in October 2026. The company said: "Microsoft will not release a feature update after Windows 11 SE, version 24H2. Support for Windows 11 SE - including software updates, technical assistance, and security fixes - will end in October 2026. While your device will continue to work, we recommend transitioning to a device that supports another edition of Windows 11 to ensure continued support and security." So, you won't be provided with Windows 11 25H2 later this year on your SE device, if you own one - version 24H2 is as far down the line as you'll get, and all updates will cease full-stop in just over a year. Analysis: Silly Ending for a Student Edition? Microsoft has been trying to take on Google's Chromebooks for a long time now, including efforts such as Windows 10X - which badly misfired and ended up being canned before it even arrived. Windows 11 SE was the most recent effort, emerging late in 2021, and it was showcased by Microsoft in its Surface Laptop SE. However, as we observed in our review of that machine, there was a problem here - the performance level of the notebook was rather poor. The simple truth about Windows 11 SE is that while it was supposed to be a streamlined operating system for low-cost devices, this variant of the desktop OS was still too unwieldy. There just wasn't enough emphasis on trimming down Windows 11 so it performed better. Indeed, much of the thrust of Windows 11 SE was about simplifying the computing experience for students - the interface, and locking the system to only admin-approved apps, plus cloud services - rather than actually streamlining the operating system so it ran well on lesser hardware. And let's be honest, the latter was the whole point, really, at least in terms of making affordable laptops to rival cheap Chromebooks (which run very slickly indeed, despite their low cost). So, all in all, it's not surprising to see Microsoft shutter this effort in this manner. What is surprising, though, is how owners of Windows 11 SE machines, like the Surface Laptop SE, have now been left in the lurch by this announcement that support is being killed in a year. As Neowin, which also picked up on this move, points out, the Surface Laptop SE has an end-of-service date (for firmware and drivers) of January 11, 2028. But with Microsoft now having revealed that Windows 11 SE won't be going on beyond October 2026, that's cutting this support window (pun not intended) short by over a year. Those who own a Surface Laptop SE, who thought they were good for another couple of years, have effectively now been told they're going to be a year shorter on support. If Microsoft promised support for this showcase laptop through to 2028, then why not extend support for the dedicated OS it runs to that date, too? Strong-arming folks into moving early hardly seems fair here. It seems an odd decision to make, and one that won't endear Microsoft to some people. Indeed, when it comes to Microsoft's next big shot at taking on Chromebooks - if there is one - those in the education sector might remember what's happened here, and be less trusting of new ideas from the software giant. For those who do have a laptop running Windows 11 SE, and now need to plan on switching away sooner from that OS, maybe to a different flavor of Windows 11, this is possible, albeit somewhat problematic in some reported cases. Going by this Reddit thread, if you're running into trouble in this endeavor, you may want to try turning off Secure Boot in the laptop's BIOS to get a working installation of Windows 11 Home or Pro on an SE machine (you can switch the feature back on afterwards, apparently). You might also like... Fed up with your mouse cursor supersizing itself randomly in Windows 11? Thankfully this frustrating bug should now be fixed Microsoft promises to crack one of the biggest problems with Windows 11: slow performance No, Windows 11 PCs aren't 'up to 2.3x faster' than Windows 10 devices, as Microsoft suggests – here's why that's an outlandish claim
Ammon
03-08-2025
- Ammon
Microsoft is killing off Windows 11 SE
Ammon News - Microsoft is ending support for Windows 11 SE next year, five years after it launched the operating system on low-cost laptops that were designed to compete with Google Chromebooks. Windows 11 SE was only available on devices for education customers, such as schools, and it was supposed to convince them not to switch to Chrome OS. 'Support for Windows 11 SE — including software updates, technical assistance, and security fixes — will end in October 2026,' says Microsoft in an updated support article spotted by 'While your device will continue to work, we recommend transitioning to a device that supports another edition of Windows 11 to ensure continued support and security.' Microsoft won't release its upcoming 25H2 update for Windows 11 SE, which means that devices will remain on 24H2 until support ends next year. Acer, Asus, Dell, Dynabook, Fujitsu, HP, JK-IP, Lenovo, and Positivo have all created Windows 11 SE laptops, and Microsoft even launched its own $249 Surface Laptop SE in 2021. Microsoft has tried and failed to compete with Chrome OS many times over the years. The software maker previously created an S Mode that locked Windows 10 down to apps from the Microsoft Store, but it ended up frustrating users when there weren't enough apps in the Store. Windows 11 SE took a similar approach by encouraging schools to use Progressive Web Apps (PWA) instead of traditional win32 apps. IT admins had to create exceptions for devices to run win32 apps, and Microsoft maintained a strict list of allowed apps for Windows 11 SE. Microsoft's decision to kill off Windows 11 SE comes a year after Gartner warned that Chromebooks were 'losing market share due to their limited customer base and inferior build quality.' Chromebook shipments have been in decline since 2022, and the PC refresh cycle this year seems to be largely focused on Windows 11 upgrades rather than an exodus to Chrome OS. The Verge
Forbes
02-08-2025
- Forbes
Microsoft Quietly Confirms It's Killing Off A Version Of Windows 11
In the flurry of updates to Windows 11, and Microsoft's exhortations to upgrade your Windows 10 software, another operating system may have flown under your radar. Windows 11 SE is being phased out in the coming months. Here's what it means and what you should do. Windows 11 SE is a version of Windows designed for education, working 'on web-first devices that use essential education apps, and it comes with Microsoft Office 365 preinstalled,' as Microsoft describes it in a support document. That document has been updated, as spotted by Dr Windows, and now Microsoft has warned that Windows 11 SE is drawing to a close. 'Support for Windows 11 SE will end in October 2026: Microsoft will not release a feature update after Windows 11 SE, version 24H2. Support for Windows 11 SE—including software updates, technical assistance, and security fixes—will end in October 2026. While your device will continue to work, we recommend transitioning to a device that supports another edition of Windows 11 to ensure continued support and security,' the support page reads. The software was first released in 2021 and was designed to be affordable to compete with Google Chromebooks, to persuade schools, for instance, not to switch to Chrome OS. There was one piece of Microsoft hardware to go with the software, the Surface Laptop SE, which sold for $249 in 2021, as The Verge reports. Other manufacturers also made laptops for this software. The current version, 24H2, will not be updated to 25H2, the upcoming version that will work on other Windows 11 machines. There have been reports that sales of Chromebooks have been on the decline, so Microsoft maybe thought this was the time to focus on people upgrading to Windows 11 instead. If you have a Windows 11 SE device, you have plenty of time to change to one that runs Windows 11 — Surface Laptop SE, for instance, does not run the full version of Windows 11. As Microsoft says, your machine will keep on working after the cut-off date of October next year, but it will lack security updates as well as feature improvements.
Hans India
02-08-2025
- Hans India
Microsoft Ends Windows 11 SE: Chromebook Rival to Be Retired by 2026
Microsoft has decided to pull the plug on Windows 11 SE, marking the end of its latest attempt to compete with Google's Chromebooks in classrooms. The lightweight operating system, which debuted five years ago, was aimed at the education sector with affordable laptops designed to keep schools from shifting to Chrome OS. 'Support for Windows 11 SE — including software updates, technical assistance, and security fixes — will end in October 2026,' Microsoft confirmed in an updated support article highlighted by 'While your device will continue to work, we recommend transitioning to a device that supports another edition of Windows 11 to ensure continued support and security.' Unlike the main Windows 11, Windows 11 SE will not receive the upcoming 25H2 update. Devices will remain on the 24H2 version until support officially ends. Over the years, brands like Acer, Asus, Dell, Dynabook, Fujitsu, HP, JK-IP, Lenovo, and Positivo have offered laptops running Windows 11 SE. Microsoft even rolled out its own budget-friendly Surface Laptop SE at just $249 back in 2021. This is not the first time Microsoft has tried to break Chrome OS's hold in schools. The earlier Windows 10 S Mode also limited installations to Microsoft Store apps — but with few apps available, it only left users frustrated. Windows 11 SE followed a similar restrictive model, pushing schools towards Progressive Web Apps (PWAs) and tightly controlling which traditional win32 apps could run. Microsoft's decision reflects shifting trends in the education market. Just last year, Gartner noted that Chromebooks were 'losing market share due to their limited customer base and inferior build quality.' Chromebook shipments have dropped since 2022, and this year's PC upgrades appear focused on refreshing Windows 11 devices rather than switching to Chrome OS.
Yahoo
02-08-2025
- Yahoo
Microsoft is killing its failed ChromeOS competitor, Windows 11 SE
Microsoft is ending support for its ChromeOS competitor Windows 11 SE. The company will officially stop providing "software updates, technical assistance and security fixes" in October 2026, according to an updated support document spotted by NeoWin. When it was announced in 2021, Windows 11 SE was pitched as a simplified, lightweight version of Microsoft's operating system for the classroom. Chromebooks and ChromeOS devices are widely used in schools around the world, so it made sense that Microsoft would want to offer something competitive. Windows 11 SE, and the Surface Laptop SE that launched alongside it, were the company's latest attempt to do just that. Clearly the plan didn't work, as evidenced by Microsoft's decision to shutdown Windows 11 SE just five years later. The operating system was available on other low-cost devices, but it doesn't appear that it acquired nearly the same-sized audience as ChromeOS. If it had, Microsoft likely wouldn't be dumping it so unceremoniously. Windows 11 SE isn't the first time Microsoft has tried to spin-off a more efficient version of Windows, though it did seem like the most thought out. For example, the company has also tried Windows 10 S (which lives on as "S Mode" in Windows 11) and the never-launched Windows 10X, a streamlined version of Windows for dual-screen devices. While Windows 11 SE devices will work after Microsoft's October 2026 cut-off, the company recommends "transitioning to a device that supports another edition of Windows 11 to ensure continued support and security."
