The new kid on the block! Windows 11 SE is Microsoft’s latest bet to take on Chrome OS in the education space, and the company is positioning the platform as a much better alternative.
Both, when it comes to cost as well as synergy with other Microsoft products and services.
We already got our first look at this new variant of Windows 11 yesterday at a special education-focused launch event that also saw the debut of the Surface Laptop SE. This new operating system will ship on that machine and other devices from third-party manufacturers.
To follow up, Redmond posted documentation detailing its newest operating system, providing several key details regarding this fresh new platform.
Then, there is also the announcement post from the company that introduces this new arrival.
Microsoft has also put up this handy infographic that lists all the key differences between three of its modern operating systems, namely Windows 10, Windows 11, and Windows 11 SE.
As can be seen from the image above, Windows 11 SE is limited in its ability to install all kinds of applications. This variant of the OS is tailored to educational environments where IT admins want to create relatively restrictive and distraction-free setups.
Windows 11 SE also necessitates the use of Intune for Education for management and deployment.
Another thing to note here is that Microsoft does not recommend Windows 11 SE for personal use. If you want to, however, you can purchase a device powered by this OS, completely delete your data and clean install a new license of Windows.
But going this route, you cannot return to Windows 11 SE.
Speaking of, Microsoft has not clarified what the branding “SE” denotes. While the most likely guess here is “School Edition”, the documentation makes clear that this is not an abbreviation for anything, and the company only chose these particular initials to differentiate this variant from other versions.
Redmond did clarify that the OS will be sold worldwide, except in China, due to the strict compliance requirements from the government there.
And while the company did clarify that it is not restricting retail stores from selling devices running the new operating system, it does not expect this to be a trend considering the associated app and management restrictions.
You can learn more about Windows 11 SE over at its official site.
