Microsoft has just welcome a new member in the Surface family simply named as ‘Surface Laptop’ at its recently concluded What’s Next event held in New York. However, the even bigger announcement of the day was the launch of the new Windows 10 S.
To keep things simple, the new Windows 10 S is modeled along the same lines as Google’s Chrome OS. What that means is that Windows 10 S laptops will only run apps sourced from the Windows Store so as on the Surface Laptop.
Windows 10 S is locked down to Store apps only. Here’s why?
That again is a boon but also has the potential to ruin the game if the pieces don’t fall into places well enough. Coming to the positives first, the obvious advantage of Windows 10 S devices like Surface Laptop being compatible with only apps from the Store obviously leads to a safer running environment.
Microsoft stated the apps are made to run in a containerised environment, keeping them off bounds with other parts of the OS. While it allows for a safe running environment, the fact that the apps don’t initiate hundreds of background processes ensures things remain as speedy even after a few years of usage, as it has been on day one.
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- Brilliant Display – Stunning 13.8" PixelSense touchscreen[1], with brilliant LCD display[2], unleashes luminous whites, deeper blacks and colors so richly saturated bringing vivid life into every frame – perfect for work, school, streaming and creative tasks.
- Power that lasts all day – With 20 hours of battery life[3], the new Surface Laptop powers through your entire day, so you can create, work and stream from morning to night without reaching for a charger.
- Work at the speed of your ideas – Built with the latest Qualcomm Snapdragon X2 Elite (12 Core) processors, Surface Laptop delivers fast, AI‑accelerated performance—making it the most powerful Surface laptop for everything from multitasking to demanding workloads.
- The ports you need – Charge on-the-go, transfer data fast, or create the ultimate desktop set up with two USB-C / USB4[4] ports.
- Built-in AI Companion – Work smarter, create freely, and communicate with confidence—Copilot[5] on Windows 11 is always there to help.
Even in Windows 10, After installing Win32 essentials, locking down the OS to Store apps only could be a nice practice to avoid crapware!
Windows 10 S is different from Windows RT
However, so much for all the hype that Windows 10 S has managed to create around itself, there is also no denying the fact that the version is evoking memories of another Windows version that even Microsoft would be eager to forget, Windows RT.
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- With 16 GB of memory, runs as many programs as you want without losing the execution
- The 13.5" 2256 x 1504 screen provides a great movie watching experience
- 512 GB SSD is enough to store your essential documents and files, favorite songs, movies and pictures
- 8 Hours battery run time helps you stay unwired and work longer non-stop
And reason number one being that like the Windows 10 S, the RT too was only compatible with apps from the Windows Store.
However, Microsoft is keen to emphasize that the similarities end just there. And the biggest differentiator being that while Windows RT was limited to ARM chipsets, the Windows 10 S is compatible with x86 processors. The latter attribute makes the 10 S match up to the traditional desktop apps (via Project Centennial) present in the Windows Store. Towards that, Microsoft has also announced it is bringing the Office 365 suite as apps to the Windows Store.
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- A PREMIUM PERFORMANCE LAPTOP — Ready for work, school, and creativity. Built for busy days, big projects, and nonstop multitasking. Run video calls, school and work apps, 20+ browser tabs, and AI tools at the same time without slowing down.
- WITH AI BUILT IN — With a dedicated AI chip (Qualcomm Snapdragon X2 Elite), this Copilot+ PC[5] on Windows 11 helps you work smarter and faster. Prompt, create, and automate with ease - ready for even your most demanding tasks.
- A 13.8" TOUCHSCREEN YOU'LL ACTUALLY USE — Sharp colors, real detail, smooth 120Hz scrolling on the PixelSense touchscreen[1] with LCD display[2]. Tap, scroll, or pinch to zoom - whichever feels right for streaming, editing photos, or daily work.
- 20 HOURS OF BATTERY (LEAVE THE CHARGER) — Up to 20 hours of video playback[3] on a single charge. Work from a coffee shop, take it to class/work, or binge an entire season on a long flight — it'll keep up.
- THE PORTS YOU NEED — Two USB-C / USB4[4] ports for fast charging, big file transfers, or hooking up to three 4K monitors when you want a full desktop. Wi-Fi 7 keeps you online and fast wherever you are.
Everything else with the Windows 10 S tallies up just fine with the Windows 10. Those include Cortana, Windows Hello and so on. Above all, you have the liberty to choose from desktop or tablet mode, unlike the tablet mode that the Windows RT was locked at.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Microsoft’s Surface Laptop has immense power, just upgrade to Windows 10 Pro
With the Surface Laptop being designed along the same lines as the Google Chromebook, it is only natural Microsoft kept it closely tied to its own ecosystem. And there is a good reason to do that (safety and top notch performance), except that the ecosystem isn’t as robust yet as that of Google’s.
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- A PREMIUM PERFORMANCE LAPTOP — Ready for work, school, and creativity. Built for busy days, big projects, and nonstop multitasking. Run video calls, school and work apps, 20+ browser tabs, and AI tools at the same time without slowing down.
- WITH AI BUILT IN — With a dedicated AI chip (Qualcomm Snapdragon X2 Elite), this Copilot+ PC[5] on Windows 11 helps you work smarter and faster. Prompt, create, and automate with ease - ready for even your most demanding tasks.
- A 15" TOUCHSCREEN YOU'LL ACTUALLY USE — Sharp colors, real detail, smooth 120Hz scrolling on the PixelSense touchscreen[1] with LCD display[2]. Tap, scroll, or pinch to zoom - whichever feels right for streaming, editing photos, or daily work.
- 19 HOURS OF BATTERY (LEAVE THE CHARGER) — Up to 19 hours of video playback[3] on a single charge. Work from a coffee shop, take it to class/work, or binge an entire season on a long flight — it'll keep up.
- Two USB-C / USB4[4] ports and a microSD card reader for fast charging, big file transfers, or hooking up to three 4K monitors when you want a full desktop. Wi-Fi 7 keeps you online and fast wherever you are.
And the biggest impediment can be the Edge browser and Bing search that the version defaults to. So, any online search that you need to resort to or any browser requests yielded during computation will always lead to Bing and Edge respectively. No issues with that except those aren’t as matured yet as Google search or Chrome browser.
So unless Microsoft shores up its act with its Bing search or Edge browser, those grouses are here to stay. Also, with neither Chrome nor Google search featuring in the Windows Store, opting for Surface Laptop will entail changing your search and browser preferences to Bing and Edge respectively.
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- Brilliant Display – Stunning 13.8" PixelSense touchscreen[1], with brilliant LCD display[2], unleashes luminous whites, deeper blacks and colors so richly saturated bringing vivid life into every frame – perfect for work, school, streaming and creative tasks.
- Power that lasts all day – With 20 hours of battery life[3], the new Surface Laptop powers through your entire day, so you can create, work and stream from morning to night without reaching for a charger.
- Work at the speed of your ideas – Built with the latest Qualcomm Snapdragon X2 Elite (12 Core) processors, Surface Laptop delivers fast, AI‑accelerated performance—making it the most powerful Surface laptop for everything from multitasking to demanding workloads.
- The ports you need – Charge on-the-go, transfer data fast, or create the ultimate desktop set up with two USB-C / USB4[4] ports.
- Built-in AI Companion – Work smarter, create freely, and communicate with confidence—Copilot[5] on Windows 11 is always there to help.
https://youtu.be/8HCVUCqZoHI
Another drawback with the Surface Laptop that can seriously restrict its usage in high-end development tasks is its inherent inability to run Microsoft’s own dev tools like Visual Studio Code, .Net Core SDK and tooling. If Microsoft sees it as an opportunity to take on Google’s Chromebook, they should bring these toolsets to the Windows Store, after all, they’re essentials for schools; else Windows 10 S devices would only be useful for consuming content, not creating it.
Although, Microsoft mentions you can still opt to download apps outside of the Windows Store but you will have to upgrade to Windows Pro. Upgrading comes free on the Surface Laptop, or for that matter, on any Windows 10 S device costing upward of $799, though only till end-2017. Else, the process will attract a fee of $49.
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