Latest news with #Windows11SE
Yahoo
4 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
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Business Standard
04-08-2025
- Business Standard
Windows 11 SE: Microsoft sets 2026 expiry date on its ChromeOS competitor
Microsoft has confirmed in a support document that it is going to end all support for Windows 11 SE, which was essentially designed as a rival to Google's ChromeOS, by 2026. It has been nearly five years since the US technology giant launched this operating system for low-cost laptops. Now, as per Microsoft, support for Windows 11 SE will end in October 2026. Designed as a streamlined take on Windows 11, these devices prioritised web apps and Microsoft Office. Apps ran only in fullscreen, and all files synced exclusively to OneDrive. Microsoft has stated that Windows 11 SE will not receive any feature updates beyond version 24H2, which was released last year. Support for the operating system, including security patches, updates, and technical assistance, will officially end in October 2026. Although existing devices will still function, the company has advised users to switch to a different Windows 11 edition to maintain access to ongoing support and security updates. Several manufacturers, including Acer, Asus, Dell, Dynabook, Fujitsu, HP, JK-IP, Lenovo, and Positivo, have produced laptops running Windows 11 SE. Microsoft also introduced its own budget-friendly option, the Surface Laptop SE, in 2021, with a starting price of around Rs 18,000. Notably, this decision from Microsoft comes just days after Google announced that it is going to bridge the gap between ChromeOS and Android even further. Google to merge ChromeOS and Android Earlier in July, Google announced plans to integrate ChromeOS and Android into one unified platform. The transition was initially hinted at last year when the company revealed intentions to rebuild ChromeOS, used in Chromebooks, on top of Android's core architecture. In an interview with TechRadar last month, Sameer Samat, head of the Android Ecosystem, explained that the goal is to merge ChromeOS and Android into a single platform to speed up development and deliver a more cohesive user experience across smartphones and laptops.
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
Indian Express
02-08-2025
- Indian Express
Microsoft kills Windows 11 SE, support ends officially in October 2026
After only a few years in the market, Microsoft's special school edition of Windows 11 SE, built for low-cost PCs used in classrooms, is no longer available. This was the company's latest attempt to compete with Chrome OS, first unveiled in 2021. Microsoft initially described Windows 11 SE as a 'cloud-first operating system that offers the power and reliability of Windows 11 with a simplified design and tools specially designed for schools.' Only specific education-oriented PCs supplied by OEMs, starting with Microsoft's own Surface Laptop SE, came pre-installed with this version of Windows 11 SE. According to Microsoft, support for Windows 11 SE, including security updates and new features, will end in October 2026. The company also confirms that Windows 11 SE has already received its final major update, version 24 H 2, and will not be receiving version 25 H 2 later this year. Microsoft has made several attempts to rival Chrome OS. Windows 10 X, a genuinely lightweight version of Windows that performed much better on low-end hardware, was the closest to achieving this. Sadly, with the cancellation of Windows 10 X before its release, Microsoft was left without a truly lightweight Windows OS for low-end PCs. 'Microsoft will not release a feature update after Windows 11 SE, version 24 H 2. 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,' stated a Microsoft Learn document. The operating system, however, struggled to run smoothly on low-end hardware because it shared the same base as Windows 11 Home and Pro. Windows 11 SE was a last-ditch effort to serve the low-end educational sector without truly delivering a lightweight version of Windows, as the company has yet to release a genuine lightweight edition. Windows 11 SE was restricted to only running apps approved by an administrator and included artificial limitations, such as reduced multitasking capabilities, to simplify the user experience for children. It also featured a unique function allowing users to add stickers to their desktop backgrounds. Windows 11 Education remains available for students and educational institutions. The main differences between Windows 11 SE and Windows 11 Education are that the former has no artificial restrictions, whereas the latter is considerably more expensive.
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.
