What You Need to Know About
Windows 10 S
Microsoft presented Windows 10 S and the Surface Laptop – designed especially for the education sector – on 3 May in New York. The software giant also took the opportunity to roll out some added goodies for Microsoft Intune, which these products support. The update will be available from summer 2017. We take a closer look at the new version of the operating system.
As a simplified version of Windows 10, Windows 10 S is designed especially for the education sector, as well as for PC vendors and interested users. Google leads the field with its Chromebooks, particularly in the highly competitive education market in America. Microsoft is keen to establish the new version and its associated hardware as a genuine alternative, as some Google Chromebooks are priced significantly below a classic Windows notebook. What’s more, Windows S is designed to fundamentally simplify the provision of soft/hardware and administration in this sector. That’s why the upgrades to the cloud-based management tool Intune were presented as well.
Windows 10 S is designed around the Windows 10 Pro version, although much of it is significantly different. The following table shows which features are available, and which are not.
| Configuration and Features | Windows 10 S | Windows 10 Home | Windows 10 Pro |
| Applications not available in the Windows Store | yes | yes | |
| Join a local domain | yes | ||
| Join an Azure AD domain | yes | yes | |
| Windows Store Apps (including Win32 Centennial Apps) | yes | yes | yes |
| Standard browser defined as Microsoft Edge | yes | Configurable | Configurable |
| Windows Update for Business | yes | yes | |
| Windows Store for Business | yes | yes | |
| Management of mobile devices (MDM) | yes | Restricted | yes |
| BitLocker | yes | yes | |
| Roaming for companies with Azure AD | yes | yes | |
| Shared PC configuration | yes | yes |
Source: Microsoft
One of the biggest restrictions here is that exclusively Windows Store applications can be installed. Some readers may be familiar with this from Windows RT. But Windows S differs very significantly from the RT version in this respect, also because it supports x86 processors, unlike just the ARM processors that RT accepts.
Since the sales launch of Microsoft Surface Laptops with Windows 10 S pre-installed Office 365 is also available in the Windows Store. This version of Office 365 is a preview that can only be installed by users of Windows 10 S Surface Laptops.
Users of a Surface Laptop with Windows 10 S installed receive the Personal version for a year free of charge during the preview phase of Office 365.
Which Office 365 plans are available for Windows 10 S?
Store-Apps are not available for Office 365 Business and volume license customers. Microsoft recommends these customers to upgrade from Windows 10 S to Windows 10 Pro in order to be able to install the Business version of Office 365 afterwards.
Which Office 365 Apps are available at the moment?
*not available during the preview of Office 365 Education plans
The Office 365 Store Apps mentioned above are restricted in their scope of functions that is why they do not correspond to the Office 365 Desktop Version.
For further information have a look at the FAQs.
Microsoft has put together additional information in an FAQ section and on its website.
Do you have additional questions, or would you like advice on what Microsoft offers you? Visit our User Productivity page, where you will find all the relevant information. You are welcome to contact us as well. We will be glad to help.
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